Oregon
Oregon Football Recruiting: Ducks the Nation’s Newest Recruiting Powerhouse?
EUGENE- Since arriving at Oregon, Dan Lanning has put his foot on the gas and appears not to be taking it off anytime soon.
During the off-season, Lanning and his staff compiled some of the nation’s top recruiting classes. The University of Oregon’s football program ranks third overall in class of 2024 commits (No. 1 in Big Ten) and fifth overall in 2025 recruits (No. 2 in Big Ten).
Most of Oregon’s 2024 class are already in Eugene, preparing for their first collegiate football season in arguably the nation’s most competitive conference: The Big Ten. Out of Oregon’s 27 incoming freshmen, 22 are four-stars. Many of these highly touted commits arrived in the spring and competed in Oregon’s Spring Game, where they got the opportunity to showcase their skills.
Freshman Aaron Flowers, a defensive back from Forney, Texas, had four tackles during the spring game and a diving interception. Another freshman, Dakoda Fields, returned an interception 54 yards.
“It’s really hard to be able to come in and compete, especially as a freshman in this defense and what we ask these guys to do,” Lanning said. “There’s a lot they have to absorb, and sometimes days like today are awesome days to see those guys go out there and play fast. Dakoda (Fields) had a big play. Aaron (Flowers) had some big tackles. We’ve signed good football players and it’s our job to continue to develop them; but, excited about their growth.”
Other notable freshmen from the class of 2024 include Elijah Rushing (five-star edge), Aydin Breland (four-star defensive lineman), and Jeremiah McClellan (four-star wide receiver).
Oregon’s talented future roster continues with the class of 2025, a commitment class that has grown throughout the offseason. On Wednesday, Dakorien Moore, a five-star wide receiver from Duncanville, Texas, committed to Oregon. Moore is the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver.
“I’ve always wanted to be different. I’ve always wanted to take my own path,” Moore said following his commitment. “I choose the path to be different and build a legacy.”
BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ WR Dakorien Moore has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @on3recruits
The No. 1 WR in ‘25 chose the Ducks over Texas, LSU, & Ohio State “I choose the path to be different and build a legacy, let’s sco🦆”https://t.co/N7cnoc8et2 pic.twitter.com/WsveByBIyM
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 5, 2024
Like Moore, Lanning also chose the path to build a legacy, and that is exactly what he is doing at the University of Oregon. Unlike other football powerhouses such as Alabama and Ohio State, Oregon has yet to win a national championship. Lanning is on a mission to change that. The Ducks are a top contender to win the national championship this coming season.
With Moore’s recent commitment, Oregon has tied its record for the most five-star recruits in one class: Dakorien Moore, Dallas Wilson, and Dorien Brew. The Ducks are also a top contender for several other five-star prospects, giving Lanning the opportunity to break the program’s record.
As the off-season continues and recruiting battles between the nation’s top football programs continue, one thing is certain: Oregon is a legitimate football recruiting giant.
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The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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