Whether it’s high school recruiting or the transfer portal, Oregon has always targeted the best quarterbacks available. While the Ducks’ QB room is already star-studded with elite signal callers, Dan Lanning is reportedly pushing to add one more, but this time for the 2027 class, despite high-end contention.

According to On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Chandler High School QB Will Mencl emerges as the top target for Oregon’s 2027 class. He is the 22nd-best quarterback in the country and the 5th overall prospect within the state of Arizona. However, before his high school graduation, he is expected to turn into a five-star prospect.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Mencl is a talented high school junior QB and a Navy All-American, having completed an impressive 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns, with just 5 interceptions this past season. He’s also a versatile player, rushing for another 741 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Oregon emerged as the frontrunner for the QB, despite interest from Miami, Auburn, and Penn State. All the other three Power Four contenders offered Mencl after the 2025 season. However, the Ducks recognized his talent and offered him in November 2025, after multiple visits since March 2025. 

However, his recent family visit to Eugene over the weekend contributed to the positive outlook for Oregon, and they were satisfied with the trip. His father, Dave, shared details of their visit and how Lanning’s staff was supportive throughout, maintaining rapport.

“They’ve been the ones in contact with him and have been doing it for a while,” Mencl’s father, Dave, said. “It was good. We’ve been up numerous times to see the facilities and saw a few things we hadn’t seen before. It was nice.”

Mencl also praised Coach Lanning for his incredible coaching role with the Ducks and his vision to involve everyone.

“It’s just a brand. Coach Lanning does that program really, really well, and he always will run that program, and it’s just, it’s a player’s environment that everybody wants to be in, so it’s definitely awesome,” Mencl said. 

He also holds 26 offers from top schools across the country, with the latest offers coming from Miami, Wake Forest, Duke, California, and others. However, Oregon looks unflinching as a top contender for the Auburn native, and they’re also expected to host him by this spring.

Oregon’s star-studded quarterback room

Oregon has become the premier destination for top college quarterbacks in recent years. The last three Ducks recruits have been exceptional, with Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel reaching the Heisman finalist stage in 2023 and 2024, respectively. On the other hand, Dante Moore enters the 2026 season as a leading Heisman contender and one of the top passers nationwide.

While two backup QBs left for the portal, Dan Lanning added Nebraska transfer and former five-star prospect Dylan Raiola. He will be eligible for two years and will provide tough competition for the starting role. Additionally, they returned backup QBs Brock Thomas and Akili Smith Jr. for the 2026 season.

Brock, a walk-on player from Sheldon High School, played a surprisingly crucial role for the Ducks as a backup for Moore in blowout situations and showcased his good arm skills. 

While Akili Smith Jr. didn’t find any field time, he is expected to see some field time this season in a rotational role. With the future class shining bright with notable signal callers, Will Mencl’s potential hire could add more depth to the Ducks’ next few seasons.