Eugene found its lucky charm in Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning. When he arrived in 2021, 247Sports already saw him as the nation’s No. 8 recruiter. From 2022-2024, Lanning brought in two five-star and 51 four-star recruits. This quickly moved the Ducks’ recruiting class from No. 13 to No. 3 in just three years. The 2025 class also looks good, ranked No. 4 nationally. So, for Lanning, putting things off is a BIG NO NO. He’s already starting to prepare for the 2026 class and needs to impress many five-star players.

When it comes to the 2026 class, Lanning’s Oregon had a slow beginning. They are currently ranked No. 9 by On3’s Industry Ranking. So far, the Ducks have seven commits: one five-star, four four-stars, and two three-stars. There was a bit of a quiet period in Eugene for recruiting. Lanning’s last recruit was on February 26, when they got 4-star safety Xavier Lherisse. Even though they tried hard for Jared Curtis, he decided to commit to Georgia instead. But now is not the time to worry about the speed of recruiting. The coming days demand Lanning’s best effort.

Just weeks ago, Dan Lanning celebrated big after five-star EDGE Richard Wesley committed, even diving into a pool with him. He thought he had a key player for the Ducks. But only 17 days later, Wesley changed his mind, leaving Oregon disappointed and Lincoln Riley’s USC happy. However, Oregon’s recruiting is now picking up with their big June 6-8 visits. And there’s even a chance Wesley might consider the Ducks again.

On the June 5th episode of the On3 Recruits podcast, Josh Newberg gathered updates about where the Ducks stand in the recruiting trail from Steve Wiltfong. The one 5-star recruit who is snatching away programs’ sleep is none other than the No.1 linebacker of the 2026 class, Tyler Atkinson.

Atkinson took an OV to Clemson last weekend (May 31-June 1) and doesn’t have any other official visits on the schedule for this summer as of yet. Now, is it a good sign? Wiltfong shared his take. “The Ducks are in the thick of it to sign the Loganville Grayson five-star. He loves Dan Lanning. Lanning’s been recruiting him since he was in the eighth grade. Loves the caliber of football that Oregon’s playing. The opportunities on and off the field are exciting for any coveted recruit.” The next one on Lanning’s plate is to win back the trust of Richard Wesley. 

Will Lanning be able to land Wesley for the second time? Wiltfong stated, “Well, Oregon’s going to have to battle to sign Richard Wesley. But I still think they’re the program to beat. This will be his sixth time on campus. Sees an opportunity to be an instant impact player after Matayo Uiagalelei moves on following the season. The defense is a scheme that he loves. The relationship with guys like Tosh Lupoi is exciting…but him and his family, they want to go out and see what else is out there.” 

Lanning now runs the race with Ohio State, Texas Longhorns, and Texas A&M. But there is nothing to panic about. “Everybody’s chasing Oregon. Texas is chasing Oregon. Ohio State’s chasing Oregon, A&M they’re chasing Oregon. We’ll see if anyone can catch the Ducks. The Ducks got to keep running but they’re in a good spot coming into another visit to campus.” Wesley will be back on campus for his official visit the weekend of June 6.

Then enters 5-star CB Brandon Arrington. Originally set to take an OV to Eugene on June 13, Arrington will be moving his trip up to this weekend (June 7-8). 

“There have been times where Oregon has looked like number one; they may be the biggest threat right now to Texas A&M, and similar to Tyler Atkinson, it’ll be interesting to see what we’re saying about Oregon’s position for Brandon Arrington coming out of his official visit. I have a feeling they’re [Oregon] really going to move the needle,” noted Wiltfong.

While many might have expected Lanning to be fully focused on preparing a plan to secure those five-star recruits, the head coach is actually taking some time off. He’s reportedly taking a breather and celebrating at a gala with a $175 million NBA star.

Dan Lanning shares a moment with an NBA star

Nike is known for hosting their ‘Just Do It’ celebrations in a big way. This time, Lanning got lucky to get an invite from them. After all, his program shares a special bond with the sportswear giant.

Last year, in October, Oregon’s NIL collective Division Street collaborated with Nike to create the “What The Duck” Dunk Low collection. So, how could Lanning just miss out on the celebration? On June 5, the Ducks’ head coach shared a clip of some prized moments from the JDI Day. The caption read, “Great Day at @nike for JDI Day!!! This place gets your HEART pumping! Thank you for the invitation!”

That’s where the fans spotted Dallas Mavericks Power Forward, Anthony Davis. The basketball star signed a 3-year, $175,369,471 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Now, what better way to rejuvenate oneself away from the recruiting chaos that looms around?

Even Pat McAfee could not resist sprinkling salt on Dan Lanning’s fresh wound. Given how happy the head coach was when Wesley committed, even forming an ‘O’ with his hands in the pool, the decommitment was clearly a big blow.

McAfee’s statement might have made Lanning regret his recruiting move harder. On the Pat McAfee Show, he joked, “I don’t like Coach Lanning getting the run-around here by some 18-year-old. He did the whole thing and then two [weeks] later, ‘I’m not doing it anymore.’ …Remember when the coach [Tom Herman] had to send the voicemail singing Justin Bieber? Don’t do it. Can’t have it.” Will the mockery fuel Lanning’s fire to reclaim his crown as college football’s ‘Recruiting King’?