After diabolically recruiting for one month, Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers once again found themselves on the losing side of things when it came to the recruitment of 5-star Xavier Sabb. Despite the Tigers leading the race following his official recruiting weekend visit, the 5-star decided to roll the dice on Dan Lanning’s Oregon Ducks.

On July 3, 2026, Steve Wiltfong of Rivals confirmed the New Jersey native’s commitment. He’s the second 5-star wide receiver for the Oregon Ducks in the class of 2027 and the fifth-best WR in the entire country. Sabb’s versatility showed: 59 catches, 897 yards, 13 TDs on offense; 15 tackles, 4 INTs on defense this past year. Over his high school career, he has recorded 52 total touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

This was neither a quick nor an easy recruitment for Oregon. They actually started building a relationship with Sabb over two years ago when he was just a high school freshman. Head coach Dan Lanning and wide receivers coach Ross Douglas made him a top priority early on. They flew him to Eugene in May 2025 for an unofficial visit, and he returned in January 2026 for another visit to hang out with the coaches again.

For a moment, LSU appeared poised to win the recruitment. They managed to book Sabb for his very first official summer visit from May 29 to May 31. During that big weekend in Baton Rouge, LSU’s coaching staff rolled out the red carpet and hit all the right notes. Sabb is really passionate about studying computer science, and LSU did a fantastic job showing off its academic tech programs.

LSU knew they had to keep the momentum going because Sabb was scheduled to visit schools like UCLA, Tennessee, and Oregon right after them. LSU strategically scheduled Sabb for an exclusive recruiting weekend in June. They paired Sabb up with other superstar recruits, like Jalen Brewster and Easton Royal, and sold him natty aspirations.

“The program is focused on the pursuit of a National Championship, and I would like to be a part of that,” Sabb said via Rivals.

Xavier is the younger brother of Keon Sabb, a standout safety for Alabama, and Amari Sabb, a talented wide receiver who also signed with the Crimson Tide. Some folks expected Xavier to follow his older brothers to Tuscaloosa. Most recruiting analysts had the Tigers winning this one. However, in the end, Oregon’s June recruiting weekend had the Ducks winning his heart.

Where do the Oregon Ducks land in the 2027 recruiting class now?

According to the Rivals Industry Rankings, Oregon sits in a spectacular No. 2 spot for the 2027 class. However, 247Sports puts them at a close No. 3, just behind Notre Dame. Right now, the only team firmly ahead of them across the board is Texas A&M.

Oregon confidently holds the undisputed No. 1 spot in the Big Ten Conference, even above Ohio State. Dan Lanning and his staff have been on an absolute tear to start July 2026. Right before Sabb made his announcement, Oregon landed back-to-back commitments from top blue-chip defensive backs, including four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr. and five-star cornerback Hayden Stepp.

Oregon’s momentum positions it as the recruiting-class favorite.