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Oregon Ducks Address Biggest Need Through Recruiting Class

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Oregon Ducks Address Biggest Need Through Recruiting Class


The Oregon Ducks made key signings through the 2026 recruiting class, and Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the program secured five five-star picks. 

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One of the biggest position needs that the Ducks addressed through recruiting is safety. According to Rivals’ rankings, seven safeties are featured in the top 100 recruits, and the Oregon Ducks made a big splash in recruiting the position.

Oregon Adds Elite Safeties Through Recruiting

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Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning smiles before the game against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

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One of the biggest signings for the Oregon Ducks is five-star safety Jett Washington. Washington is the No. 22 recruit in the nation, the No. 2 safety, and the No. 1 player from Nevada, per Rivals. While the Ducks signed several elite recruits, Washington could prove to be the most important signing for Oregon.

Washington is a natural athlete, and after choosing between USC, Alabama, and Oregon, the five-star recruit will find himself in Eugene in 2026. Athleticism runs in Washington’s family, as he is the nephew of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and he can be an immediate difference maker on defense in 2026.

“I think the options are limitless when you see a player of Jett’s ability. He’s got great ball instincts, he can attack. He’s a physical hitter. You look at a lot of things that we were able to do with Dillon this year, Dillon Thieneman on his stack position, I think Jett translates to a lot of that stuff really well as well,” Lanning said of Washington.

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Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks also signed four-star safety Devin Jackson, another top 100 recruit. According to the Rivals’ Industry Rankings, Jackson is the No. 68 recruit in the nation, the No. 5 safety, and the No. 9 player from Florida. Despite efforts from the Florida Gators and several other top programs, the effort the Oregon Ducks put in landed them another elite safety in 2026. 

MORE: Dan Lanning Challenging Mike Bellotti In Oregon Coach Milestone

MORE: Oregon Ducks Recruiting Another Multi-Sport Athlete to Eugene

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Who Are Still Pending NFL Draft Decisions 

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Despite not being rated in the top 100, the Ducks also signed four-star safety Xavier Lherisse. Oregon has a strong history of developing players on both sides of the ball, and Lhresse has a high ceiling. With the Ducks, he could break out on the defense and become a top safety over time.

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Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning congratulates players after defeating the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Why Recruiting At Safety Was Important For Oregon

The Oregon Ducks are earning a valuable addition at safety, which could be critical for the Ducks in 2026. After Oregon’s success in 2025, the team could be losing key defensive back depth.

One significant player who could be leaving the team after the season is safety Dillon Thieneman. He could return to the team next year, but with the season he had, Thieneman could declare for the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Ducks safety Solomon Davis announced his intention to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, and although Davis played primarily on the special teams, that is still another player set to leave the team ahead of 2026. Whether the incoming recruits are ready to play right away or not, the team needed to add depth at the position, and the Ducks landed elite talent in doing so.

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New co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Hampton, right, joins the first practice of spring for Oregon football as they prepare for the 2023 season.

Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 06 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oregon has had a top defense this season and has done well at stopping the pass. The defense allowed just 5.36 yards per attempt and 144.1 yards per game in the air. 

Despite Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi becoming the head coach of the Cal Bears, the Ducks’ defense has the same amount of potential. Notably, defensive backs coach Chris Hampton is expected to be promoted to defensive coordinator.

Not only is Oregon hiring in-house, but it is the coach who recruited the elite safeties. Hampton will set up the incoming athletes for much success, keeping Oregon as a national title contender. 

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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl

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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl


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.



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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional

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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional


Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.

A Bad Start Changed Everything

Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.

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After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.

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Pitching Wasn’t the Issue

Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.

After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.

The Power Just Wasn’t There

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In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.

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Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.

They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff

In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.

Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.

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FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez named Freedom 250 Hometown Hero in Oregon

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FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez named Freedom 250 Hometown Hero in Oregon


A federal task force targeting fentanyl dealers in downtown Portland has led to nearly 100 federal charges over the past two years, and one of the leaders behind that effort is now being recognized with a national honor.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced FBI Special Agent Bobby Gutierrez as the Freedom 250 Hometown Hero, an award that honors individuals whose courage, generosity and public service reflect the ideals of liberty and civic responsibility.

The Freedom 250 initiative was created to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and recognizes Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities.

Gutierrez was selected as the District of Oregon’s Hometown Hero for his leadership, collaboration and dedication to joint downtown fentanyl enforcement missions. For the past two years, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland Police Bureau, has targeted fentanyl dealers in Portland.

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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Gutierrez has helped coordinate dozens of investigations focused on fentanyl distributors in downtown Portland. Through those efforts, nearly 100 fentanyl distributors have been federally charged.

“As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I am honored to present Special Agent Gutierrez as Oregon’s Hometown Hero. Special Agent Gutierrez’s dedication, selfless service, and unwavering commitment have made a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our community,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said.

“Two years ago, Portland had notorious open-air drug markets, rising crime, and frequent overdoses. Thanks to Special Agent Gutierrez’s efforts, dedication, and coordination with local, county, and state partners, we are reducing fentanyl trafficking, violent crime, and overdoses downtown,” Bradford said.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Gutierrez has been a “tireless investigator and steadfast partner” in efforts to restore downtown Portland to a safe and vibrant community.



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