Young: FACT. The Ducks are presently fourth in the Rivals.com Team Recruiting Rankings and are surging by the week. Combine a staff led by head coach Dan Lanning that has proven to be relentless in pursuit of its top targets — the Ducks have already won some major recruiting battles they weren’t pegged to win a few months ago, like for five-star running back Jordan Davison — and the kind of NIL backing needed nowadays to recruit with the best in the country, and that’s the recipe needed to truly recruit at an elite level.
Since June 25, Oregon has landed commitments from five Rivals250 four-star prospects and two five-stars in Davison (No. 2 RB and No. 18 overall) and receiver Dakorien Moore (No. 1 WR, No. 4 overall). The Ducks are stacking talent across the field, and even after losing out to LSU this week for five-star athlete DJ Pickett they’re far from done while looking strong for five-star safeties Jonah Williams and Trey McNutt and four-star top-100 receiver Michael Terry. Whether Oregon does or does not ultimately get to No. 1 this cycle, the Ducks have everyone’s attention and are definitely a top threat for that spot.
Levenson: FACT. I thought about this for a moment and was very close to going with fiction and siding with Alabama as the biggest threat. But there was one key aspect that leaves to me go with Oregon. The Ducks are currently No. 4 in the 2025 class and looking at the top five, Oregon has the fewest commits by a fairly wide margin.
Ohio State (24), Alabama (22), Georgia (20), Oregon (16), and Notre Dame (21) makes for an interesting look at what the future holds. Ohio State does not have many additions left for the year. Alabama at 22 and Notre Dame at 21 are in the same boat. Georgia is in a bit a decent spot for some more growth but Oregon with just 16 leaves so much room to grow. And looking at prospects like Williams, McNutt, and Terry are just three possibilities. There remains so major prospects around the country who could very well end up in Eugene. With so much room to grow and a number of elite prospects with real interest, they are set to make big moves up the ranks.
Advertisement
*****
2. LSU-Alabama will still be a heated rivalry in the post-Nick Saban era.
Jalen Milroe (left) and Harold Perkins Jr. (right)
Powell: FACT. To say that the LSU-Alabama rivalry just won’t be the same without Nick Saban leading the Crimson Tide would be a big understatement. But it’s hardly the demise of this long storied series. We’re talking about a rivalry that dates back to Grover Cleveland’s time in the White House, a time where Theodore Roosevelt was president of the New York City Police Board, six years before he became the 26th President of the United States. There’s a lot of history in this series.
Some say that history tends to repeat itself. If that’s true, you could make an argument that the rivalry could become even more heated. The height of this rivalry has been over the last 40 years, following the retirement of another Alabama legend in Bear Bryant in 1982. While Alabama is saying goodbye to another legend this season, the next chapters of this century old rivalry have yet to be written. But the characters in those stories are not as important as the stories themselves.
This rivalry doesn’t need a Bear Bryant or Nick Saban to be one of the most heated rivalries in college football, it just needs the first Saturday in November.
Levenson: FACT. I think Powell described this situation perfectly. There was always an added layer to the rivalry between the two SEC powers given that Saban was once a national championship winning coach in Baton Rouge before eventually ending up at Alabama. However, that only added to the fire that was already burning. LSU has seen a rotation of quarterbacks over the past 20 years and you could argue the passion is added to as LSU fans hope and expect for a new coach to get the best of their biggest rival.
Now, with Kalen DeBoer at the head of the Tide, both fanbases are eager to see how this will play out. Alabama is looking to prove DeBoer belongs in this role to take down the likes of LSU and other SEC foes. Meanwhile LSU is looking to capitalize on what they are calling a potential downfall of Alabama with Nick Saban no longer at the helm.
Advertisement
I fully expect the 2024 rendition of the rivalry and beyond to be the normal level of craziness and passion we are used to.
*****
3. Texas A&M is the team to beat for 2026 four-star ATH Dequane Prevo.
Dequane Prevo
Rosow: FACT.Texas A&M has seemingly been the program getting most of his attention for the past few weeks. It starts with the multiple visits he’s taken to College Station and is added to by the fact that he loves his relationship with coach (Holmon) Wiggins and believes in Mike Elko’s vision for him. I believe the talented wide receiver will end up committing to the Aggies.
Levenson: FACT.Dequane Prevo announce a commitment date of July 30 recently with a top schools of Texas A&M, USC, Arkansas, Penn State, and Baylor. Immediately upon putting out the news, I went ahead and logged a FutureCast for Texas A&M to land his commitment.
With an early commitment coming, I felt the Aggies were the clear answer at this time. They are the program he has visited most to this time, going back to 2022. He was most recently on campus in College Station on June 20, where Prevo was able to spend time with head coach Mike Elko. With just two weeks before a decision, Prevo looks like he is heading to Texas A&M as of now.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
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
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
Sign up today for OPB’s “First Look” – your daily guide to the most important news and culture stories from around the Northwest.
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.
Advertisement
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
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.”
Advertisement
“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.
Advertisement
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.
