June is the busiest month in college football’s offseason, but Oregon is seeing a slump. Not too long ago, Oregon was sitting well ahead in the Top-10 club of the 2026 class. But after some players decommitting, Dan Lanning is seeing more future targets drift away from Eugene. He has only 9 commits in his class now, which is a worrying number considering the recruitment roll they were on. Unfortunately, it seems another key target will forgo Oregon for an SEC program, which hosts a star commit whom Lanning lost in a recruitment battle.

After getting Jared Curtis to commit to the Bulldogs, Kirby Smart saw a string of prospects also pledge their allegiance to the program. 11 targets chose Athens as their collegiate football home. Smart may very well be on the road to add another name. 4-star LB Nick Abrams arrived in Indianapolis to compete in the Rivals Five-Star challenge. Abrams comes in as a player without an official college destination, but he gave out a big hint as to where he might end up. He arrived at camp wearing a black hoodie that sported a massive, red G in the middle. This might imply that Georgia is not just a favorite; it might be his future home.

Kirby Smart and Georgia have been in the good books of the elite prospect for quite some time. Athens was last up on his official visit itinerary, which puts Dan Lanning in for some worry. The Ducks have also slipped in the 2026 class, now ranking No. 9 according to On3. He names Alabama, Georgia, and Michigan as his favorites, along with the Ducks. Abrams will announce his decision on July 16, which gives Lanning and Co. very little time to make the extra pushes in order to secure his commitment. This development is also just after Abrams paid a visit to Oregon this weekend.

“Georgia is a place I can see myself thriving in,” Abrams told On3. Athens was his first OV, and Kirby Smart already has a good relationship with him. That visit “set the bar” for Abrams’ following visits. “The big takeaway was how good Coach Schumann is. He has three Butkus Award winners at the age of 35. It was great talking to him and listening about how much he cares for his players. It also great to talk to Coach Smart, his outlook on life and his vision for the next chapter of Georgia football,” he told On3.

Abrams is the No. 14 LB in the class and the 6-best prospect from Maryland. He comes with 113 total tackles (11 TFLs) and 4 sacks, according to MaxPreps. His sporting Georgia gear is a huge indication of where he is inclined to go, more so after just visiting Oregon. The Bulldogs are a closer program than the Ducks. He stressed in May that each of his 4 favorites will have a 25% probability of landing the promising LB. But after his trip to Eugene, are there any chances of Dan Lanning swinging Abrams over?

What did Nick Abrams say about the Oregon visit?

During Abrams’ visit, Dan Lanning put freshman Gavin Nix on hosting duties. The HC had flipped him from another Big 10 recruiting juggernaut, Miami. On3 reports that Nix and the rest of the LB room interacted with Abrams, which left a good impression on him. “[The] brotherhood, that culture that’s preached, but they don’t really show, and I think Oregon did show that,” he said. He also clarified that distance is not going to be a factor behind his decision. That puts Oregon at some ease. “I definitely feel like Oregon feels like home,” Abrams claimed.

“I think each school brought a different dynamic,” he said. But Oregon’s zeal for continuing their newfound drive after last season’s successes made an impact on him. “Just being able to be like, ‘Okay, this school’s hungry. They have what it takes. They have the coaching staff in place. I think they’re going to be able to get one in these next couple years.’ So seeing that, the progression, the growth that Oregon has, was kind of big.” Dan Lanning is keen on having his recruitment, especially after the recruitment setbacks he faced recently. If Abrams commits, he will be the second LB to join the class after Tristan Phillips.

July 16 is Nick Abrams’ birthday. Who among the four will he treat by committing to them? Georgia and Oregon have sparred before in recruiting, particularly to win Jared Curtis’ pledge. His commitment to Georgia might end up taking Abrams away from Dan Lanning, who is eagerly awaiting a kick-start to his recruitment campaign. Will his former employer and mentor be a roadblock for Lanning once again?