Oregon battling Miami Hurricanes for 5-star DL Jayden Wayne in latest projections

A recruiting rivalry is bubbling up between Dan Lanning and Mario Cristobal. The eventual commitment from 5-star DL Jayden Wayne will further add to that.

[jwplayer rQepXc2I]

In the sense of rivalries, the Oregon Ducks don’t have many outside of the Pac-12. While we know about the bad blood with Washington, Oregon State, and even USC, outside of conference play it’s hard to pinpoint a school that could be labeled as a rival to the Ducks other than maybe the Ohio State Buckeyes, or perhaps the Boise State Broncos, just due to past history.

However, a new rivalry may be bubbling to the surface, at least from a recruiting standpoint. Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes are stepping up to the plate and taking on the Ducks head-on.

After leaving Oregon last December, Cristobal went up against the Ducks in a few recruiting battles, notably losing 4-star OL Dave Iuli to Dan Lanning after the Washington product flipped to Oregon late in the process.

Now, another highly-rated Washington recruit — 5-star DL Jayden Wayne — is up for grabs, and it’s the Ducks and Hurricanes who currently lead the way in his recruitment, according to On3’s predictions.

According to 247Sports, Wayne, who plays at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, is listed as the No. 4 DL in the 2023 class, and No. 30 player overall. Standing at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Wayne would be a massive addition to the Ducks’ defensive line and act as a centerpiece to Oregon’s 2023 recruiting class, should he choose the Ducks.

As you can see, the Ducks currently hold a slight advantage in his recruiting, according to On3, with a 27.7% chance to land him. Miami is right behind them, with a 27.2% chance. We will see how his recruitment continues in the coming months, but Wayne is definitely someone to keep an eye on, as both teams will be fighting hard for him down the stretch.

After losing Iuli late to the Ducks, you can guarantee that Cristobal wants a little bit of revenge. We’ll just have to see what Lanning has to say about that.

[listicle id=20607]