Dan Lanning’s recruiting empire at Oregon is built on strong relationships, but now one of his former lieutenants is using those same tactics against him. Coordinators usually spend more time recruiting players than head coaches do, and it appears that Will Stein has developed a close bond with Ismael Camara. The OL prospect recently spoke about the Kentucky head coach, putting Lanning on alert.

“It was a great visit to Lexington, and it was my first time in Kentucky. It is really a nice part of the country,” Camara said of his spring break visit to Lexington. “Coach Stein and Coach Leftwich are very close to me since I first arrived almost two years ago. Coach Leftwich offered me at UNT, then at Oregon, and then at Kentucky. And we always say Coach Stein is a Gilmer Buckeye, just without the diploma.”

“He coached at Texas and UTSA with Coach Jeff and Kurt Traylor (Gilmer graduates and long-time Texas High School Coaches) and Coach Turner (former Gilmer Head Coach). And I know a lot of the other coaches and players,” Camara added.

It looks like the race for Ismael Camara just got a lot more interesting. Dan Lanning has been keeping tabs on this for a while now. But after his two-day trip to Lexington, the currently ranked No. 3 interior offensive lineman in the 2027 class was blown away by the love he got from Will Stein’s coaching staff.

The main reason a program like Kentucky has a shot in the first place is due to the personal connection. Camara has a very long history with head coach Will Stein and his offensive line coach, Cutter Leftwich, from their time at North Texas. In the world of recruiting, 7 out of 10 times, it comes down to relationships from day one. Camara mentioned that Leftwich was one of the very first coaches to offer him his first-ever scholarship. So there’s a level of trust there that’s hard to beat.

The connection runs deeper than just early scholarship offers. Until recently, Will Stein served as Dan Lanning’s offensive coordinator at Oregon, spearheading Camara’s recruitment for the Ducks. Now that Stein has taken the head coaching role at Kentucky, the Oregon HC isn’t just battling an SEC program, but also to keep his prized target from defecting to his former play-caller.

Ismael Camara is a specimen of an offensive lineman originally from France, but has roots in Guinea. He moved to the U.S. to play football at Gilmer High School in Texas at the age of 15. Standing at about 6-foot-6 and weighing over 340 pounds, he quickly became one of the most talked-about high school players in the country after squatting over 750 pounds at 16. That explains why Dan Lanning and 25 programs in the nation are hell-bent on him.

He doubled down on the Will Stein relationship and believes the Wildcats’ pro-style offense could utilize his elite strength.

“They are just getting rolling, and I got to watch a familiar practice. Coach Stein’s offense is my offense in Gilmer, and we practice the same way. Everything was brand new as far as the school, but the people and the process are very familiar to me. It is like playing a PS5 game on a different TV monitor. Same software, just new hardware. I have always said that my decision will come down to the people and feeling at home with everything. UK is only new to me in terms of geography.”

Even though the Wildcats made a huge impression, the competition for the No. 35 overall player in the country is still fierce. Camara’s calendar is already filling up with official visits to heavy hitters like Texas A&M, LSU, and Texas. Dan Lanning still has the Ducks right in the thick of it, especially since Camara has previously called Oregon “the kind of place where I have to be.” Back in November 2025.

While Eugene once felt like an inevitable destination, the tide has drastically shifted. Following his eye-opening trip to Lexington, recruiting insiders have noted that Camara is heavily weighing an early commitment to the Wildcats. The familiarity of Stein’s system, combined with his new authority as head coach, might just seal the deal.

Currently, Camara is headed to visit Alabama, as his spring break tour keeps him busy. He’s got the Eugene official visit set for June 19, so it looks like Dan Lanning got some work cut out for him. Regardless, the Ducks’ head coach once again proved no recruit is out of reach for him after bagging a 4-star Washington Huskies target.

Dan Lanning gets whoever he wants!

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks just pulled off another massive recruiting heist out of Jedd Fisch’s palm with edge rusher Zane Rowe. For a long time, everyone thought Rowe was a lock for the Washington Huskies. Why the sudden shift in the tide? The Lanning effect.

Rowe mentioned how much he loved seeing Dan Lanning get hands-on with the outside linebackers during practice. One of the biggest reasons is his investment from the past when he was DC at Georgia back in 2021. Dan Lanning made the first overall pick of Travon Walker. That’s the warranty for this four-star. “That’s my dream, that’s my goal, and I believe Oregon is going to be the best spot for me to chase that,” Rowe said.

Rowe is an absolute unit at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds. He’s currently ranked as a Top 100 recruit (No. 93 overall) and the No. 9 defensive lineman in the 2027 class. By landing him, the Oregon Ducks made their way into the top 10 with 6 verbal recruits. Judging by his past 3-year recruiting track record, it’s only a matter of time before he makes the top 3, with or without Ismael Camara.