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.
Oregon defensive back Aaron Flowers goes up for a pass during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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.
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“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 Green Team defensive back Dakoda Fields intercepts a pass indended for wide receiver Jurrion Dickey during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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
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“I choose the path to be different and build a legacy, let’s sco🦆”https://t.co/N7cnoc8et2 pic.twitter.com/WsveByBIyM
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.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning runs during practice with the Ducks Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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 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.
