The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star defensive line prospect Matthew Johnson, one of many blue-chip recruits in Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class. Johnson signed his letter of intent for Oregon on Wednesday.
At 6 feet 5 inches and 265 pounds, Johnson is on the leaner side for an interior defensive lineman, but he loves to be physical across the middle of the line of scrimmage, often bull-rushing opposing linemen to get to the quarterback.
Johnson attends De La Salle High School, the alma mater of former Ducks’ WR Cameron Colvin, in the Bay Area. Most of Johnson’s other top schools consisted of former Pac-12 teams, such as the California Golden Bears and the Arizona schools.
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Matthew Johnson Recruiting Rankings
247Sports Rating: 4-Star (91)
National Ranking: No. 210
Position Ranking: No. 25
247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9021)
National Ranking: No. 323
Position Ranking: No. 33
Matthew Johnson Position Outlook
The defensive line has been a major focus for Dan Lanning in recent recruiting cycles, but none of the Ducks’ big-name D-line recruits have played much as freshmen. It’s a position that requires years of development, so expect to see more of Johnson in year two or three like we’ve seen this year from sophomore Amauri Washington.
Oregon Ducks D-Line Depth
In all likelihood, the Ducks will lose Derrick Harmon and Ja’Maree Caldwell to the NFL this offseason. Both are elite defensive linemen, but there are plenty of quality players set to fill those holes already in Oregon’s program. Washington is a name to look out for, as well as freshman Aydin Breland, one of the Ducks’ highest-rated recruits a year ago. I also wouldn’t be surprised if Lanning looks to the portal like he did last year with Harmon and Caldwell.
Oregon Ducks’ 2025 Class Outlook
Going into the Early Signing Period, the Ducks expected to sign a third-straight top-10 ranked class assuming that all players verbally committed to Oregon would put pen to paper. So far, that has been the case. There are a couple of flip targets out there who Lanning and his staff are still working to get into the fold. If any more additions come to Oregon, there’s a chance that the Ducks could put together another top-5 class under Lanning’s watch.
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