Oregon Ducks 5-star WR Dallas Wilson has officially asked to be released from his signing, and is expect to join the Florida Gators.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks got dealt some rare unfortunate recruiting news this week, with one of their top players in the 2025 recruiting class asking to be released from his papers with the University just a couple of weeks after signing them.
According to multiple reports, 5-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson has officially requested to be released from his financial aid agreements that he signed to join the Ducks earlier this month. Should he be granted that release, which is expected, he plans to sign with the Florida Gators, his hometown school.
Wilson was the third highest-rated player of Oregon’s 2025 class, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 20 overall player in the nation and the No. 3 WR.
There were rumors of Wilson’s potential flip to Florida early on the morning of signing day, but he ultimately decided to put pen to paper with the Ducks, which many thought signaled the end of his recruitment, which was the longest of any in this class after he committed to Oregon back in January of 2023.
While this is a major blow for the Ducks, it’s not a death blow, by any means. Oregon still has a commitment from the No. 1 WR in the 2025 class, Dakorien Moore, and one of the top overall classes in the nation, even without Wilson. Where they go at the WR position after this will be interesting to see, but Lanning and his staff have known about this development for a bit now and were not caught off guard by the news on Wednesday.
Oregon Ducks 5-star WR Dakorien Moore turned heads on Saturday, and elicited a strong reaction from Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant.
Former Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant took to social media on Saturday afternoon to let Oregon Duck fans that they got an incredibly talented player with the signing of 5-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore in the 2025 class.
As if Oregon fans didn’t already know.
It was a play from Moore in the Texas High School Football semifinals that caught Bryant’s attention, though, with the No. 1 WR in the 2025 class doing what he has done so many times this year — taking the ball to the house after catching it in space and making a number of defenders miss in highlight fashion.
For those wondering what exactly it was that Moore did on the field to elicit that type of response from a three-time NFL Pro Bowler, you can see it here.
Moore was the No. 1 WR in the 2205 class for a reason, and it’s plays like this that he made all season that makes it clear he is among the best players to ever sign with the Ducks.
As a true freshman, there is an expectation that Moore will immediate step in and contend for a starting spot in the offense, much like Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith, or Alabama’s Ryan Williams in 2024.
Tristan Phillips, a 4-star linebacker in the class of 2026, has verbally committed to the Oregon Ducks.
A few days after an exhilarating early signing day, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks still have momentum on the recruiting trail. The Ducks 2025 class is ranked 4th overall by 247Sports, and on Saturday, Oregon secured a commitment from elite class of 2026 linebacker Tristan Phillips, according to Max Torres of On3Sports.
Phillips is the Ducks’ 10th commit in the class of 2026, which is already ranked as the No. 1 overall class in college football. From Ventura, California, Phillips ranks as a 4-star recruit and is 247Sports’ No. 13 LB in 2026.
At 6 foot 3 inches and 215 pounds, Phillips has a leaner frame than the average college linebacker, but he’s still a junior in high school, so he has time to add more weight if he wishes. Despite the lean frame, Phillips has a lot of strength, which combined with his speed, makes him an elite open-field tackler.
Before announcing his commitment, Phillips looked at plenty of schools across the West Coast, including Arizona State, Utah, and Washington.
Phillips’ commitment came just hours before Oregon’s matchup against Penn State in the Big Ten Championship. Linebackers Jeffrey Bassa, Bryce Boettcher, and Jestin Jacobs will all be key factors for the Ducks in the game, but all three will be out of eligibility after this season. Oregon grabbed a few linebackers in the class of 2025, but adding Phillips in the 2026 class is key to building long-term solidity on defense.
The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star OT Alai Kalaniuvalu, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.
The drama and fireworks of the Early Signing Period’s opening day had long settled, but Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks weren’t done working.
In fact, it was quite the opposite.
When few expected any more recruiting news until Friday, at the earliest, the Ducks landed a commitment from 4-star offensive lineman Alai Kalaniuvalu, a former Oregon commit who backed off of his commitment last month.
Kalaniuvalu committed to the Ducks back in the summer, but decided to flip his commitment to the BYU Cougars. However, he did not sign on Wednesday, which left the door open for the Ducks.
That’s not a good idea when Lanning is feeling spicy.
On Thursday night, Oregon flipped the 4-star back to Oregon, where things started. Here’s some more information on Kalaniuvalu, and what he brings to the team.
247Sports Rating: 4-Star (90)
National Ranking: No. 240
Position Ranking: No. 14
247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9220)
National Ranking: No. 204
Position Ranking: No. 11
Alai Kalaniuvalu Position Outlook
Kalaniuvalu is expected to take a mission out of high school, so he won’t be on campus for the next couple of years. Once he does get to Eugene, though, you can expect him to develop for a year or two before competing for a starting spot.
Oregon Ducks OL Depth
There might be some holes to fill from the 2024 offensive line as Marcus Harper and Ajani Cornelius both move on. Oregon is hoping to keep Josh Conerly, but the NFL could be an option for him in 2025. Only time will tell on that front.
Returning however is center Iapani Laloulu will be back as will guard Dave Iuli, who missed much of 2024 due to a leg injury. Oregon will also return Kawika Rogers on the OL, among others.The Ducks do have the likes of Charlie Pickard and Trent Ferguson as well as Genorris Wilson, Ty Delgado and Fox Crader. This might be the deepest the offensive line has been in a long time.
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.
When it comes to recruiting, such as in the case of Dallas Wilson, relationships and trust still can go a long way.
When it comes to recruiting, you never know the minor details that are going to help lead to a commitment.
For 5-star CB Na’eem Offord, it was a handful of games of Connect Four — which Dan Lanning admits that he lost — that ended up contributing to the blue-chip defender’s flip to the Ducks.
For 5-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson, it was a dream that he had early in his recruitment.
“Our longest commit to this class, he had a dream about getting an opportunity to play at Oregon,” Lanning said of Wilson on Wednesday night.
Wilson, one of the top players in the nation, obviously had multiple offers throughout his recruitment, and until the pen hit the paper on Wednesday, schools were in his ear about flipping to their school.
But when push came to shove, Oregon was the place he wanted to be.
“I’m just really proud of Dallas for knowing what he wanted,” Lanning said. “And you know, when you’re a talented player, there’s going to be a lot of people that want you, and Dallas is an extremely talented player, but you know, the relationship mattered. I think his dream mattered to him, what he wanted to be able to accomplish at a place he’s dreamed about for a long time, and to see his journey to get here through some of the adversity he’s faced is really, really impressive.”
According to 247Sports, Wilson is the No. 3 wideout in this 2025 class, but Oregon was lucky enough to lock down the No. 1 receiver as well in Dakorian Moore. It’s a duo that could be one of the best in Oregon history if everything goes according to plan. With the transfer portal and NIL situations, players rarely stay put for an entire four years, but as with the initial recruitment, relationships can go a long way. It led Wilson to stick with the Ducks instead of flipping elsewhere.
“There were strong relationships there,” Lanning said. “I think, you know, it’s a matter of him being able to sit down and think through, you know, all the details, but this guy’s held true and for a long time, really proud of him for being able to do that.”
The Oregon Ducks made a splash in the early signing period, flipping a pair of 5-star players and signing a historic class.
If we’ve learned anything during Dan Lanning’s time as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks, it’s that he has a flair for the dramatic, and usually has a good bit of fun when the Early Signing Period rolls around each December.
That was never more true than on Wednesday when the Ducks lit some fireworks on the first day of the signing period and bolstered their already strong 2025 class with a pair of 5-stars who flipped from other schools.
From early on, the Ducks started staking wins, getting 5-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson to stick to his commitment and sign with Oregon. After that, they signed 5-star WR Dakorien Moore, 5-star CB Brandon Finney, and 5-star CB Dorian Brew.
While the 2025 class is not yet complete for Oregon, they have largely signed the bulk of who they will sign this year. There is a chance that they flip Michigan 4-star TE Andrew Olesh on Friday, and they could add another player or two to the group this spring, but for now, this class is close to complete.
It is the third consecutive top-10 ranked class for Dan Lanning and the Ducks, and the second-straight year that Oregon has signed a top-five ranked class in the nation.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are known for stealing the show and making history during the early signing period. In year one of the Lanning era, we saw the head coach light up a cigar for all of social media to see after flipping several of the …
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are known for stealing the show and making history during the early signing period. In year one of the Lanning era, we saw the head coach light up a cigar for all of social media to see after flipping several of the top prospects in the nation to Eugene.
Last year, the Ducks signed the top-rated class in school history, bringing in a handful of 5-star recruits and a long list of blue chips. This year that again improved, signing the first class in school history to cross the coveted 300-point threshold.
We saw 5-star flips at the last second, and no outgoing flips from Oregon’s highly-coveted commits, which is everything you could ask for as a fan on signing day. In all, the Ducks signed 20 players on Wednesday and could end up adding a couple more before the Early Signing Period is over.
Let’s dive into the class and see if we can identify the biggest winners and losers from around Eugene.
Winner: Dan Lanning
Photo Courtesy of Na’eem Offord
It feels like you can pretty much guarantee that Dan Lanning is going to be listed as a winner after just about every National Signing Day going forward. He has been in charge of three full recruiting classes at Oregon, all three of which have been ranked inside the top 10 nationally. The last two classes have been ranked inside the top five, and the most recent one has the most 5-star players in school history.
When he came to Oregon, everyone knew that Lanning was regarded as an elite recruiter, but I’m not sure this was expected. Yet again, he’s proven to be as good, if not better than everyone else in the nation when it comes to talent acquisition.
Loser: Ohio State Buckeyes
Things don’t appear to be going very well in Columbus right now. A few days after suffering one of the most embarrassing losses in program history, falling to an unranked Michigan Wolverines team, the Buckeyes saw their 5-star cornerback commit Na’eem Offord flip his commitment.
He didn’t flip to the Auburn Tigers, as many expected, but rather to the new blood in the Big Ten, the Oregon Ducks.
In this class alone, Oregon landed Offord, Dorian Brew, and Trey McNutt, all players who had heavy Ohio State ties and were expected to end up in Columbus. I’m sure that’s not sitting well with the Buckeyes’ faithful.
Winner: Junior Adams
(Photo courtesy of Zachary Neel)
Junior Adams didn’t need the results on Wednesday to establish himself as an elite recruiter, but he bolstered his resume nonetheless. The Ducks will walk away from the 2025 class with 5-star WR Dakorien Moore (No. 1 in nation), 5-star WR Dallas Wison (No. 3 in nation), and 4-star WR Cooper Perry (No. 18 in nation).
This goes along with recruiting wins like Jurrion Dickey, Jeremiah McClellan, Evan Stewart, Tez Johnson, Ryan Pellum, and Dylan Gresham, among many others, over the past few years.
It’s safe to say that Adams knows what he’s doing.
Loser: Justin Wilcox
Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
A bully doesn’t often care all that much about who his victim is, and in the recruiting world, Dan Lanning has become the nation’s proverbial bully over the past couple of years. On Wednesday, he picked on former Pac-12 rival and notorious Oregon alum Justin Wilcox, head coach of the California Golden Bears.
The Ducks stole 5-star QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele from Berkley, flipping him to Oregon at the last minute. Sagapolutele said afterward — and Lanning confirmed on Wednesday night — that the Ducks didn’t even know JKS was flipping his commitment, but rather got the news as a pleasant surprise.
“It’s not very often that you get to this point and you don’t know which way it’s leaning, or where it’s at,” Lanning said. “What I did know is where Jaron’s heart was this whole time.”
I found my heart feeling for Wilcox after the flip. The Ducks could survive — and thrive — in a world where they didn’t land the 5-star QB on Wednesday. For Wilcox, it may have been the biggest recruiting loss of his career.
Winner: Chris Hampton
When the dust settled on Wednesday, Oregon ended up walking away with signings from the No. 2 CB, the No. 5 CB, the No. 6 CB, and the No. 2 S in the nation. That’s an impressive haul, no matter who you are, or how much NIL money you have to spend.
It’s also a great proof of concept for Oregon’s co-defensive coordinator and DB coach Chris Hampton, who has his fingerprints all over this Ducks’ program. The Oregon defense has been elite on the field this year, and they proved on Wednesday that they can be just as good, if not better off the field as well.
Loser: Fringe QBs
While the flip of 5-star QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele may have been great for Dan Lanning and the Ducks, I’m afraid it may act as a direct threat to the handful of fringe QBs on Oregon’s roster. My immediate thoughts went to Austin Novosad, Luke Moga, and fellow incoming 4-star QB Akili Smith Jr., who signed with the Ducks on Wednesday.
Dillon Gabriel has the keys to the car right now, and the expectation is that he will hand them to Dante Moore next year. After that, what happens? Will Novosad beat out JKS? Can Moga step up into the starting spot? Will Smith be able to push for the QB1 role? If the answer to those questions is no, then I’m curious how quickly a trip to the transfer portal will take.
The Ducks have taken multiple quarterbacks from either the high school ranks or the transfer portal in the last two years, and the result of that is a stacked QB room that is loaded with talent.
Only one QB can play at a time, though, so I’m curious to see who ends up playing, and who ends up sticking around.
Winner: Kansas State Wildcats
Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports
It wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the Ducks on Wednesday. In fact, things got off to a bit of a rocky start before the eventual fireworks came.
5-star tight end Linkon Cure, the No. 1 TE in the nation who was heavily projected to flip to the Ducks after his visit over the weekend, ended up sticking with the Kansas State Wildcats.
Cure admitted that he had a recruiting graphic made and ready for his flip to Oregon, but ended up changing his mind late in the process.
While that’s tough for the Ducks, it makes the Wildcats a big win, as they now pair an elite tight end with promising young quarterback Avery Johnson on what could be a Big 12 winning team over the next few years.
Loser: Rest of the Big Ten
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
I think adding Oregon to the Big Ten might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but the rest of the conference may not be having quite as much fun anymore.
In their first year as members of the conference, the Ducks steamrolled through the regular season with a 12-0 record, and are now headed to the conference championship game as a favorite over the well-established Big Ten power Penn State Nittany Lions. Not only have the Ducks been getting the job done on the field, but they also now have the No. 1 recruiting class in the conference as well, taking the top spot from Ohio State after flipping 5-star CB Na’eem Offord.
The Ducks are getting it done, no matter who stands in their way. If you’re one of the teams who voted yes to letting this bully into your conference, you may be rethinking that right about now.
The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star linebacker Gavin Nix, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.
It was announced on the eve of the early signing period that the Oregon Ducks were flipping 4-star Miami Hurricanes linebacker commit Gavin Nix.
On Wednesday, it was made official.
Nix signed his national letter of intent with the Ducks, joining a top-10 ranked recruiting class and acting as one of the most valuable members, just the second LB in the group.
Rated as the No. 231 overall player and No. 24 linebacker in the nation, Nix comes from IMG Academy in Florida and is leaving former Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal to go across the country to Eugene with Dan Lanning.
here’s some more information on Nix, and what he brings with him to the Ducks.
247Sports Rating: 4-Star (90)
National Ranking: No. 231
Position Ranking: No. 24
247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9147)
National Ranking: No. 239
Position Ranking: No. 26
Gavin Nix Position Outlook
While Nix is a talented player with a high ceiling in Eugene, in all likelihood he will redshirt as a freshman while contributing on special teams to start his career with the Ducks.
Oregon Ducks Linebacker Depth
The Ducks are losing two of their best linebackers this year, with Jeffrey Bassa and Bryce Boettcher graduating. Jestin Jacobs has an extra year of eligibility if he wants it, but we know that the LB room will look quite different in 2025 than it does right now. Young players like Devon Jackson, Jerry Mixon, Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, and Kamar Mothudi all figure to step up, but this will be a group with several underclassmen, and likely a transfer portal focus this offseason.
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.
The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 5-star safety Trey McNutt, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks picked up one of the top-rated players on their 2025 recruiting board and made it official on Wednesday.
5-star safety Trey McNutt is now a member of the Ducks after signing his national letter of intent. It’s been a long time coming for the Shaker Heights safety, who is rated as the No. 28 overall player and the No. 2 safety in the nation. He committed to Oregon back in August of this year.
Coming from Cleveland, Ohio, the early expectation was for McNutt to stay close to home and join the Ohio State Buckeyes, but he surprised a lot of people when giving his verbal to Dan Lanning and the Ducks.
Here’s a closer look at McNutt, and what he brings to Eugene.
247Sports Rating: 4-Star (95)
National Ranking: No. 61
Position Ranking: No. 4
247Sports Composite Rating: 5-Star (0.9860)
National Ranking: No. 28
Position Ranking: No. 2
Trey McNutt Position Outlook
While McNutt is an incredibly talented player and has the ability to produce right away for a lot of teams in the nation, it may be hard for him to crack the rotation in Eugene early on, simply because of the depth that the Ducks have in the secondary right now. Oregon has recruited the secondary at a high level, so while McNutt is one of the top safeties in his class, he may be reserved to a special teams role for his first year, if he doesn’t end up redshirting.
Oregon Ducks Safety Depth
Since Dan Lanning came to Eugene, recruiting in the secondary has improved greatly. Because of that, the Ducks are in a great spot when it comes to depth at the safety position.
While players like Brandon Johnson, Tysheem Johnson, and Kobe Savage will graduate this season, the likes of Peyton Woodyard, Aaron Flowers, Tyler Turner, Khamari Terrell, and Kingston Lopa are all expected to take on bigger roles in the future.
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.
The Oregon Ducks have officially landed 4-star RB Dierre Hill, who signed his letter of intent in the Early National Signing Period.
The Oregon Ducks have a strong history of elite running back play in Eugene, and they’re hoping that they can continue that tradition with the latest signee joining the mix.
On Wednesday, 4-star running back Dierre Hill officially put pen to paper and signed with the Ducks, joining a top-10 2025 recruiting class as one of the blue-chip offensive players.
Hill has made waves in the high school ranks over the past couple of months, breaking multiple Illinois state records with 518 yards and 7 touchdowns in the 1A State Championship Game. Now he comes to Eugene with the hope of continuing that legacy. Here’s some more info on Hill, and what he brings to the Ducks.
247Sports Rating: 4-Star (90)
National Ranking: No. 221
Position Ranking: No. 13
247Sports Composite Rating: 4-Star (0.9335)
National Ranking: No. 156
Position Ranking: No. 10
Dierre Hill Position Outlook
It’s relatively rare to see true freshmen come into Eugene and have an instant impact right away, particularly at the running back position. Though Hill has shown that he is an elite player at the high school level, it feels more likely than not that he will redshirt as a freshman before taking on a bigger role in 2026 and beyond.
Oregon Ducks Running Back Depth
We don’t quite know what Oregon’s RB room will look like in 2025, but chances are it’s much different than currently formulated. Noah Whittington is graduating, and it feels likely that Jordan James will take off as well unless the staff can convince him to return for one more year. Then you have guys like Jayden Limar, Jay Harris, and Da’Jaun Riggs who could step into bigger roles.
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.
