It’s one thing to land a 5-star commitment. It’s another thing entirely to keep it. Just ask Dan Lanning, who’s currently walking that fine line with Immanuel Iheanacho. Because when you’re talking about a 6’7”, 360-pound offensive tackle ranked No. 2 nationally at his position, you’re playing tug-of-war with programs that never stop pulling. And in this case, it’s an SEC powerhouse.

Oregon won the July 3 sweepstakes, securing a verbal pledge from Immanuel Iheanacho despite heavy pushes from Penn State, Auburn, and LSU. But if you thought Brian Kelly was done, you don’t know the SEC. The Tigers have been lurking, waiting for the right window. And this weekend, that window swings wide open. As Steve Wiltfong reported on Rivals’ Wiltfong Whiparound on September 11, “He is committed to Oregon, but when he made his decision to give the Ducks a verbal in the summer, LSU was the biggest threat.” And this Saturday could make or break his belief in the Tigers. 

The Tigers are hosting Immanuel Iheanacho in Baton Rouge for their SEC clash with Florida, and the energy around Death Valley could be the kind of atmosphere that tilts things back toward purple and gold. “I can see myself there,” he admitted earlier this year before his commitment. “I want to be objective on every visit, but this visit really helped LSU. LSU is right there with Oregon after this visit. It is a great place.” And with Brian Kelly’s reputation for producing NFL-ready linemen, plus Brad Davis’ relationship-building, LSU has real ammunition. But is that enough to rip him away from the Ducks’ nest? 

Oregon isn’t exactly sitting back. Dan Lanning and staff are leaning on a pitch that’s worked before. Early playing time, NFL development, and a track record that now includes first-rounder Josh Conerly. Immanuel Iheanacho himself admitted, “Oregon really just felt right. Oregon had the best people, the best like-minded people, and the opportunity for me to play early was huge there.” Numbers don’t lie either. The Ducks’ 2026 class ranks among their best ever, with their 5-star standing as their highest-rated OT commitment of all time. Still, LSU isn’t letting go. So are Maryland and Penn State, both scheduled for fall visits. But if Oregon needs any extra recruiting juice, they’re supplying it on Saturdays. 

Dan Lanning’s Oregon proves themselves on the field

Two weeks into the season, Oregon is pulverizing. Montana State went down 59-13. Oklahoma State got trucked 69-3. Now, it’s on to Northwestern in Evanston, where Vegas doesn’t even pretend this will be close. The Ducks are 27.5-point favorites, averaging 64 points per game, with Dante Moore already whispering his way into the Heisman race. “When I turn on Oregon, I see the best team in the country. And I’m just saying right now that that looks like a team that could win it all this year,” FOX’s Joel Klatt declared. 

Bold words, but with Dante Moore’s six touchdowns in two weeks and a backfield tearing up defenses, it doesn’t sound like hyperbole. Recruiting is always about selling the future. And right now, Oregon’s present is making that future look irresistible. Still, this is going to be a knife fight until the Early Signing Period. LSU has history, development, and proximity. Oregon has momentum, culture, and a head coach who refuses to be outworked. “Now, talking to sources this week, I still think it’s going to take a lot to beat Oregon here, but LSU is in the ring battling,” Steve Wiltfong added. “We’ll see what the intel reads coming out of the weekend, but LSU is one of the programs that Iheanacho is visiting this fall.”

Immanuel Iheanancho’s pen isn’t on paper yet, and that’s all the opening Brian Kelly needs. For Dan Lanning, the message is simple: win on the field, win on the trail, and don’t blink. Because when SEC heavyweights circle, even elite pledges don’t feel permanent.