The Oregon Ducks are picking up steam on the recruiting trail, working to add one of the top prospects from the class of 2026. The Ducks are targeting five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, who was in Fort Lauderdale for the Overtime OT7 Finals.
Atkinson is the No. 8 recruit in the nation, the No. 1 linebacker, and the No. 1 player from Georgia, per the On3 Industry Rankings. The five-star recruit is down to four schools, the Oregon Ducks, Clemson Tigers, and Texas Longhorns. At the OT7 Finals, Atkinson revealed that while he does not have a specific date in mind, he is planning to make his decision in the next month.
Tyler Atkinson visits OSU the day of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ 38-15 win over the Indiana Hoosiers in an NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Atkinson has had an official visit with each of his top four schools, visiting Oregon during the first week of June. During the OT7 Finals, Atkinson updated On3 about where he stands with each school, and why the Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning are still contenders.
“All four schools, all of my OVs I’ve been to, the relationships I built with them, it gave me a lot to think about when picking a school,” Atkinson told On3. “I’m trying to figure out which one is the best move and which one I’ll be there for the next three to four years.”
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“Coach Lanning he’s a defensive head coach,” Atkinson said about the Ducks. “He coached the position for a long time. He just knows what he wants. It just makes it great coming on campus for practice. He’s so into it coaching the defensive players. That’s so great to have your head coach involved.”
Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning arrives prior to the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Since Lanning began coaching the Oregon Ducks in 2021, the defense is a consistently strong unit, continuing to improve. The defense played a major factor in the Ducks having an undefeated regular season. In 2024, Oregon’s defense allowed just 19.43 points per game due to it being difficult to score against the Ducks. The defense allowed just 16 rushing and 15 receiving touchdowns last season.
MORE: What 5-Star Recruit Immanuel Iheanacho Said About Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks
MORE: Denver Broncos’ Troy Franklin Assists Oregon Ducks Recruiting Of 4-Star Davon Benjamin
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The 2025 NFL Draft demonstrated a pipeline into the league that the Ducks could offer Atkinson if he were to commit to the program. Of the Ducks’ 10 draft picks in 2025, four were defensive players.
Even while losing top players to the draft, Oregon is once again expected to have a strong defense in 2025. With the defense being a highlight of the team, it is appealing to young defensive prospects such as Atkinson.
Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during a timeout in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Atkinson is predicted to stay in-state and commit to the Georgia Bulldogs, but the Oregon Ducks are putting up a strong fight for the No. 1 linebacker. Despite a rough stretch, the Ducks picked up major recruiting momentum in recent weeks.
The Oregon Ducks recruiting class ranks No. 10 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten. The team has received 10 commitments featuring one five-star, six four-star, and three three-star recruits. Atkinson could be the next five-star recruit to commit to Oregon, which would greatly boost their rankings and the team in 2026.
The one five-star commit is safety Jett Washington, the No. 1 player from Nevada. Defensively the team also received commitments from four-star recruits defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, linebacker Tristan Phillips, safety Xavier Lherisse, and three-star recruits defensive lineman Viliami Moala, and edge rusher Dutch Horisk.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
