If the transfer portal success is an art, Dan Lanning is an artist. Albeit with some controversies. While the Ducks weren’t immune to the mass exodus trend, coach Lanning still ended his recruitment saga with the most talented Transfer Portal class of the year as per On3 Industry’s average ranking per commit—which many will allege was not without some underhanded tactics. Yet, there are some things that leave even a cool-head person like him annoyed—especially when it comes to how some players handle themselves. But before we get to that…

For the unversed: A program-record 12 players were invited to Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium this year, which include quarterback Dillon Gabriel, wide receiver Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, offensive linemen Josh Conerly Jr and Ajani Cornelius, running back Jordan James, tight end Terrance Ferguson, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, and defensive linemen Derrick Harmon, Jordan Burch and Jamaree Caldwell.

And on the recruiting front, apart from UCLA Bruins transfer Dante Moore, who will likely be the starting quarterback, safety Trey McNutt, five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore, four-star quarterback Akili Smith Jr, five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord, four-star linebacker Gavin Nix, four-star running back Jordon Davison, and four-star cornerback Brandon Finney, will begin their first season with the team. On the other hand, there are also some who backed out at the last minute, giving Lanning the headache he had least expected. Why? Well, a peculiar problem seems to have presented itself—ghosting.

In the growing NIL era, it’s not uncommon for players to jump ship from one school to another, but what the Oregon head coach asks for the least bit of decency in the way they handle it. Appearing on the March 11 episode of the Unafraid Show With George Wrighster, the host asked, “If a player wants to hop in the portal, does he call you and say, ‘Hey coach! I’m thinking about leaving’. Like how does that usually work?” 

To this, the head coach had an interesting answer to give. ”I always say to our players…I think every person in this program deserves that conversation, right? I think before you read it on Twitter, you should have a conversation first, and as a man, you guys have done an unbelievable job here at Oregon, and we really take pride in wearing that, so, let’s have a conversation first.” 

He is not wrong, though. Losing people simply hurts, but when the ultimate focus is a holistic development of the program and its weapons, small misalignment can’t wreck the system and the mindset the school preens itself on.

”Then sometimes that decision’s made, and a lot of times that can be best for the player. It can be best for the program, and everybody’s goals and aspirations are a little bit different. So sometimes it fits for a guy to be able to go on and check out the next opportunity,” the $29.1 million head coach added.

Interestingly, this unusual transfer portal request comes weeks after the HC and his team has ironically been roped into a transfer portal controversy of his own…

On February 27, the Menace 2 Sports podcasts brough about a fresh angle to the Oregon Ducks’ tampering allegations involving the Ohio State Buckeyes. As per host Kris Drew, “Oregon contacted five or six current players to get them into the portal and offered them more than double of what their general rate was, and what Ohio was paying him. And it feels like, per this bucknuts reporter, that they are going through some of the top teams and offering as much money as possible to get guys to leave and come to Oregon. Because they are desperate to win a championship and desperate to be one of the big boys. Do you believe in the validity of this? Do you think that they really are offering double [of] what the market value is?”

To this, former quarterback Zach Smith had a different take. “I believe they’re tampering, but I don’t believe they’re offering double market value. Like, we would have seen at least a couple players take that, maybe not from Ohio State. They’re certainly not only doing it to Ohio State…I’m sure Ryan Williams got that offer. I’m sure some of the nation’s elites also got contacted. And if that was true, double market value, you’d see at least one…massive name hit the portal and go to Oregon and we didn’t see that,” he said.

But where did the controversy start exactly?

Lanning continues to expand his recruiting roots, outstripping all the odds 

Boise State capped off its regular football season with a loss in the Fiesta Bowl against Penn State. But Boise State’s troubles were far from over….

In an interview with KTIK Idaho Sports Talk, Koetter allaged in January this year, “I know for a fact that just last week- after the Fiesta Bowl- one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks. Offering him $700,000.” That’s huge. But apart from the tampering issues, the common narrative around Oregon and Dan Lanning’s NIL success is the strong backup from Nike billionaire Phil Knight, even prompting some to call the University of Oregon ‘Nike U’. What’s more?

The Oregon-focused NIL collective Division Street revealed that Knight recently signed a deal with Fight Club to release the first-ever Nike Air Max 95/97 hybrids featuring Oregon’s colors and logos.

Given all the proceeds are heading straight back to the Ducks’ NIL fund, the moves came off as a huge plus for coach Lanning’s growing recruiting legacy and the ode to his Natty dream next year.