The Oregon Ducks‘ 2026 recruiting class was the best that the program has ever brought in, highlighting a string of dominant years for head coach Dan Lanning and his staff on the recruiting trail. Since being hired in December of 2021, he’s been adamant in bringing talented players to Eugene — and he’s done exactly that.
An interesting class to look at for various reasons is the 2023 grouping, which was highlighted by edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and tight end Kenyon Sadiq. The latter is a sure-fire first-rounder in the 2026 NFL draft while the former has the chance to be one with a strong senior campaign.
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According to ESPN, the Ducks‘ 2023 class finished No. 8 in their rankings. But after re-ranking the classes from a present-day point of view, Oregon moved up to No. 6 in ESPN college football analyst’s Craig Haubert’s eyes. They come in behind Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami, Georgia and Texas.
They rank just outside of the top five despite their top-ranked recruit, five-star wide receiver Jurrion Dickey, never finding a consistant role at Oregon and departing from the program before his third season.
“Oregon’s top signee, Dickey, never panned out after he was suspended last August and subsequently transferred to the junior college ranks,” Haubert wrote. “However, the Ducks leveraged high school signings and the transfer portal to establish a group that led to a ton of on-field success. Defensively, Matayo Uiagalelei ranked 65th on the SC Next 300 and lived up to his billing as a pass rusher, registering 16.5 sacks over the past two seasons. Fellow four-star Teitum Tuioti stepped into a starting role in 2024 at linebacker and has been highly productive. Despite several other transfers, the Ducks identified and developed key additions, especially from SC Next 300 defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington, who returns for 2026.”
To say that Lanning and his staff nailed the defensive line with the 2023 class is an understatement, as all three of Uiagalelei, Tuioti and Washington started last season and will be back next year despite each garnering early-round NFL draft buzz.
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On the offensive side of the ball, Haubert highlighted both Sadiq and center Iapani Laloulu, who has been a linchpin on the interior of the offensive line since stepping onto campus.
Sadiq, meanwhile, was a finalist for the Mackey Award and led the nation with eight receiving touchdowns from his tight end position. While he was only the starting tight end for one season, he made a case as the most talented player at the position in Ducks history thanks to his athleticism and versatility that allowed him to make numerous acrobatic catches and leap over defenders.
While it’s undisputed that, apart from Dickey, Oregon secured some pretty significant pieces as part of the 2023 class, Lanning also leaned into the portal to fuel their successes during the 2024 season.
“Ultimately, transfers helped fuel Oregon’s first Big Ten title and playoff run in 2024,” Haubert wrote. “Wide receivers Tez Johnson (Troy) and Traeshon Holden (Alabama) led their receiving corps in 2024 and edge Jordan Burch (South Carolina) trailed only Uiagalelei that season in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (11).”
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Adding key transfers has become a necessary recruiting tactic in college football, and one that Lanning has leaned into while meshing talented recruiting classes each year.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where the Ducks fall in ESPN’s re-ranking of the 2023 recruiting class
