In 2024 Dan Lanning and his staff did something unprecedented, bringing a number three recruiting class to Oregon, a level of success an out of the way school in the Northwest has never seen.
For the 2025 cycle, they're reaching even higher. With less than three months to go until Early Signing Day the Ducks have 1) the highest-rated class in the nation in terms of talent rating per recruit and 2) with the addition of Bishop Gorman tackle Douglas Utu, the prospect of bringing FIVE five-stars to Eugene in one class.
That's never happened. It's mind-boggling to even think of it.
It's important to add too that the Oregon staff does its own evaluations. Players are evaluated not just by stars but for skills, growth potential, intelligence, character and fit. Lanning wants players who really love football. The staff takes note of little things, like how a recruit speaks to his parents. But think about this for a minute:
Ratings vary a little from service to service. Rivals is a little more tuned in on the West Coast and in Southern California; some of the others lean more heavily into the Southeast and the SEC. Repeatedly we've seen recruits accept an Oregon offer and within a month or two they drop in the ratings at some of the sites. Players who commit to a school like Alabama often get a "Bama Bump," a nudge up merely for choosing the Tide.
Still, signing five five-stars is rare air in the recruiting chase. That's elite competition every day in practice. Keep in mind also that about 35 players achieve a five-star evaluation in any given class. Even a four-star player is in the top 250-300 of the 200,000 or so high school seniors in the nation. These five are the cream of the crop.
Add to that, right now, today, Oregon leads the country in average rating per recruit. The Ducks have just 16 commitments so far with an average grade of 94.71 per player, incredibly high, just ahead of Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia, who have thus far committed bigger classes.
The Ducks have a MASSIVE recruiting weekend planned for the October 12th game with Ohio State -- they're on the road this weekend at UCLA, play on Friday night October 4th (which conflicts with most high school games) and on the road Friday night at Purdue on October 18th.
More flips and commitments are on the way, given the trajectory of the program and the energy a big national game like that creates at Autzen Stadium. The atmosphere is a huge draw: A big win over Washington landed the Ducks Kayvon Thibodeaux in the fall of 2018.
Oregon doesn't necessarily have to beat the Buckeyes to get that recruiting jolt. If they fall short the message pivots to "See, we really need you to get over that last hurdle." It's the energy, the electricity, the feeling of family and brotherhood and authenticity that creates the essential connection that leads to a decision.
Recruiting class team rankings are based on the first 20 recruits a team signs. Oregon currently sits 8th in the 2025 team rankings, but they only have 16 total commits, room to sign several more. They're being deliberate about those last few spots, waiting on some pivotal decisions.
High school recruiting is the lifeblood of any program, where the culture and the foundations are built. That's particularly true in the trenches, on the offensive and defensive lines. Exceptional portal finds there are rare; big guys have to be properly evaluated and developed. In the first two years they learn technique and the system. They refine their skills.
On offense, they have to learn leverage and hand placement, how to work as a unit. They must master blocking schemes and the tricks of the defense: blitzes, stunts and shifts. All this takes time, the maturation from being the physically superior high school player who merely leans on people to an accomplished college lineman with a five-as-one mentality. The brotherhood is as important as the ability to know the plays.
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