Zeon Lee, the nation’s top edge rusher for the 2026 cycle, committed to Maryland, and Rodney Durham, the second-ranked one, went to Notre Dame. Texas Longhorns then came calling for Richard Wesley, and Carter Meadows chose to don that winged helmet, ignoring the scarlet and gray. Truly, the only top edge rusher that was left in the class now was Anthony ‘Tank’ Jones. And now, on the Pat McAfee show, the player has finally announced his commitment destination. However, Pat McAfee, being a die-hard WVU fan and an alum, tried to explore the Rich Rodriguez possibility midway through his announcement.

There’s ‘Tank‘ in his name, which should tell you enough about the type of talent Jones brings. Still, for the less versed folks, standing at 6’4″ and 255 lbs, the guy possesses both incredible speed and pass rushing ability along with sheer explosiveness in his lower body movement. We saw this talent in his junior season when he recorded 84 tackles, 18 TFLs, and 16 sacks playing for St. Paul’s Episcopal High School, Mobile, Alabama. So, with that, one would guess that Jones committed to Alabama, right, considering the proximity.

Not quite! Jones had announced his final three on July 3rd, which included Alabama, Oregon, and Texas A&M. Even with Oregon and the Aggies making it to the top 3, it was expected that Jones’ most likely destination would be Alabama, being just 169 miles from his home. However, on Pat McAfee’s show, which was telecast with a live audience from Ohio, the player donned that Ducks cap and finally made the announcement. Yet, for Pat McAfee, his love for WVU probably dripped unintentionally.

“We’re live from a parking lot right now in Ohio. Thanks, had to say that. Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M. Obviously, he has scholarship offers from everybody, including West Virginia, which I don’t love this, but nonetheless. Will you please let the world know where you will be continuing your football career?” Asked McAfee to Jones, as he showed disappointment in WVU not making the top 3 for Jones. But Jones, with a live audience watching and screaming at him, made his final announcement.

“...For the next three to four years, I’ll be continuing my academic and athletic career’ at The University of Oregon,” declared Jones as the crowd showed a mixed response. The decision might not have been a pleasant one for Pat McAfee, given WVU wasn’t even in the picture. But Oregon getting ‘The’ Anthony Jones is big, and it propels their class to one of the best in college football right now. And rightly so, as Jones has become the fourth five-star commit to land in Eugene for Dan Lanning and takes his class to a 6th rank nationally.

Anthony Jones provides his reasons for committing to Oregon

Jones’ recruitment started quite early since, just in his freshman season, he recorded 130 tackles and 15 sacks, propelling him to national attention. Programs like Alabama, Texas, and the Aggies came calling then, and by spring in 2025, every program was after him aggressively. However, Oregon still impressed him continuously throughout his recruitment, and now the player has also given his reasoning for landing in Eugene.

“I know your school is in the state of Alabama. How hard a decision was it to go to Oregon? And why did you end up choosing Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks?” Asked McAfee to Jones, as the player calmly provided his answer. “The relationships I have with them, just the way I know they can develop me, the history of coach Lanning and coach Tosh Lupoi, like the edges they can coach, and I just know they can get me to the next level,” declared Jones as the screen turned in a green hue, celebrating his commitment to the Ducks.

Dan Lanning has surely been instrumental lately in Oregon’s success both on the field and off the field. Just last year, the team made it undefeated, and with Dante Moore this season, the Ducks are contending for a national title. Of course, the deep NIL pockets help along with the quality of the coaching staff, but Dan Lanning’s influence can not be ignored as he is set to do the unthinkable in the 2025 season.