The Oregon Ducks took a bit of a recruiting hit over the weekend, as five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell officially committed to the Syracuse Orange. Russell, if he formally signs with the Orange later this year, is poised to be Syracuse’s highest-ranked recruit in program history.
Nov 16, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown argues an official’s call during the first quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images / D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
The five-star two-sport athlete chose Syracuse over Michigan, Oregon, and Florida State. In the days before Russell’s announcement, the only buzz in online circles about where Russell might go was trending towards Michigan securing his commitment.
Russell is intent on playing both football and basketball at the collegiate level, as basketball is a priority for him. Russell has had success in both sports at Miami Northwestern High School.
Russell won the Florida 3A state title in football this last season, accumulating 39 catches for 704 yards while adding 13 touchdowns to cap off an incredible season under Miami Northwestern High School coach and former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
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Miami Northwestern’s Calvin Russell Jr. takes a selfie with his state medal after his team won the Class 3A championship against Raines on Dec. 14, 2024. / Chet Peterman / Special to The Post / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Russell is a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood as well as the gridiron. Russell, who plays small forward at Miami Northwestern High School, averaged 21 points per game while collecting seven rebounds per game.
MORE: What 5-Star Recruit Immanuel Iheanacho Said About Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks
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Perhaps the reason Russell committing to Syracuse is such a shock is simply due to the fact that the five-star did not take an official visit to upstate New York in the month of June, with the talented wideout instead taking official visits to other colleges around the country.
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In fact, when Russell spoke to On3 a week before his commitment, he didn’t even mention Syracuse as a landing spot. Russell mentioned Michigan, Florida State, and Oregon as potential landing spots in the days leading up to his commitment.
Russell would have been a major get for Ducks basketball coach Dana Altman as well as football coach Dan Lanning.
Syracuse had obviously laid out the best path for Russell, who will now play football for Orange coach Fran Brown, who is coming off a 10-win season with the Orange that saw Syracuse get multiple players drafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. Russell is in line to play on the hardwood at Syracuse for coach Adrian Autry, who took over for legendary Orange coach Jim Boeheim.
Aug 31, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange head coach Fran Brown walks on the field after a game against the Ohio Bobcats at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
While the Ducks missed out on Russell, there is still some time to go before signing day, meaning if Ducks coach Dan Lanning or Dana Altman want to give it another go in the race to flip Russell’s commitment, they would be able to do so.
Oregon currently has just one wide receiver committed to the Ducks in the class of 2026, with four-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton set to join the team next summer.
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The Ducks’ 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 8 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten, following the USC Trojans and Ohio State Buckeyes.
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.
