Dan Lanning’s 2026 recruiting hit a bump in the recent past, interrupting the non-stop series of commits coming to Oregon in the first half of the year. Oregon is still within the top 10 classes of 2026, but has fallen down from the elite tier due to some recruiting setbacks. But the Ducks are still in pursuit of another top-rated prospect, who has pitted the program against another heavyweight. It won’t be long until Dan Lanning knows who this star target picks. He’d hope for the best, given how shaky his recruiting campaign turned recently.

Oregon has only 14 commits in its 2026 class, but 11 of them are blue-chippers. Lanning hosts some lucrative talent in his roster, despite losing out on some important ones to some solid competitors. However, he is still in the running for other great prospects. Oregon just scored the commitment of 4-star receiver Jalen Lott, who is ranked the No. 2 Athlete in the class, per On3. However, fans are excited about another top target for the Ducks’ D-line: Deuce Geralds. The No. 6 DL of the class, Geralds, will announce his decision on July 9. And, he has only one other favorite apart from Oregon,

That does not make it easier for Lanning, because his competition will be against an equally major recruiting power, Michigan. The Wolverine’s EJ Holland reports that Michigan had nearly fallen out of Geralds’ consideration. So, to clear things up, the DL dropped by Ann Arbor in the middle of the week. “Michigan hit a home run on that OV and has seen its stock increase in recent weeks,” Holland wrote. And, Michigan’s staff also made a strong impression. “Geralds has a strong relationship with Michigan defensive line coach Lou Esposito, who has arguably been U-M’s best recruiter this cycle.”

But, Holland gave Dan Lanning the edge over Michigan in recruiting Deuce Geralds. “Oregon has not been talked about with Geralds for much of this 2025 calendar year. But he visited Oregon a couple of times this spring without much fanfare…  My greater point is it feels like Oregon has been the one constant as things wind down,” added ScoopDuck’s Justin Hopkins. Geralds has already hauled in 261 tackles (77.5 TFLs) and 37.5 sacks in his prep career so far. Oregon and Michigan have pushed other big programs like Georgia, Penn State, and Ohio State in their campaign for the star DL. And, at the Rival Five Star camp in June, Geralds sported an Oregon wristband, which might indicate his affinity for the Ducks.

Lanning nearly sealing the deal with a top prospect will serve as good news to the program, after Oregon was dealt three difficult blows in the 2026 class.

Dan Lanning’s hit-and-miss runs in the 2026 recruiting class

During the initial months of the year, Dan Lanning was scoring commitments every now and then. He has 14 commits so far. However, at one point, he had 3 more lucrative names in that group. The loss of Mater Dei’s Tomuhini Topui was a big one for Lanning, who flipped to USC in April. Then came the departure of Bott Mulitalo, who is now with BYU. The third blow to hit Lanning’s 2026 camp was Viliami Moala, who decommitted in July. He was a flip himself, because Lanning was able to steal him from USC. But those efforts will now be in vain.

Moala’s departure puts Dan Lanning in a unique perspective. They lost a DT in Moala, which means that the space for Geralds, and Anthony ‘Tank’ Jones to be on Oregon’s future D-line widens. Moala seemed to be a safe win for Lanning, because he had also moved schools, landing at Willamette High in Oregon. His head coach, and former Ducks player Josh Line, regards him as the “best athlete [he’s] ever coached.” Lanning is finding some steady ground in recruiting after a troubling time. But his campaign is yet to regain its glory.

With Deuce Geralds close to picking  Oregon as his CFB home, Dan Lanning will have one more commit to help Oregon inch further up in the 2026 class. Can the HC hold on to these promising commits for the long haul?