Big Ten recruitment is arguably at its hardest at the moment, with blue-chip recruits flocking to the conference that has won the last two national titles. One of the winners of this week is the Oregon Ducks, who, with the commitment of five-star safety Jett Washington, jumped up on On3’s recruitment rankings to seventh.
Updated look at Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class, which ranks No. 7 nationally according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking:
-5* S Jett Washington (Las Vegas, NV)
-5* TE Kendre Harrison (Reidsville, NC)
-4* WR Messiah Hampton (Rochester, NY)
-4* RB Tradarian Ball…— Max Torres (@mtorressports) June 20, 2025
“Oregon has what I am looking for,” Washington told On3 regarding his decision to commit to Oregon. “My relationships with the coaches are strong, coach Lanning is a defensive-minded head coach, I love the whole environment, and Oregon sets their guys up for life after football. Just the fit at Oregon is right for me.”
Oregon isn’t the only program making strides in recruitment. Both the Michigan Wolverines and the Ohio State Buckeyes have important weekends ahead of them, as they will host potential recruits. The Wolverines are receiving a dozen four-star recruits, and a five-star recruit in Calvin Russell, who’s the third-best wide receiver in the class of 2026.
17 official visitors ready descend on Ohio State this weekend including one very rare occurrence: an official visitor without an offer from the Buckeyes.
Here’s some stuff on the guys coming to town.https://t.co/1lH3J6KvDo
— Jeremy Birmingham (@Birm) June 19, 2025
For their part, the Buckeyes are set to host 17 potential recruits this weekend, including a player who hasn’t received an official offer from them.
Huge Michigan weekend coming!! Michigan Official Visits for June 20-22 #GoBlue 😎〽️ pic.twitter.com/uBmxWmG4QS
— 〽️oose 🇺🇲🇬🇷🏴 (@Moose_313) June 19, 2025
Nebraska is differentiating itself from other Big Ten programs during the recruitment process
Compared to their powerhouse big brothers in the Big Ten, the Cornhuskers are making important advances in recruitment. This is despite not having the same kind of NIL money as, say, a USC, an Ohio State, or an Oregon.
According to Nebraska insider Tim Verghese, this is all down to the investments made by the school in its athletic facilities and the program’s coaching staff. Speaking this Friday on Hurrdat Sports, Verghese made a case for the Cornhuskers having a proven track record in recruitment over the last few years. He said:
“The outsider doesn’t recognize the leverage Nebraska kind of has when they talk to these recruits. When these guys come on campus and see the facilities, and they talk to these coaches that have been in the NFL… You have an opportunity to come here and get the best training, nutrition, and to live and operate out of a literally state-of-the-art facility, which programs across the country can’t compete with… Nebraska has the best facility in the country.”
“The outsider doesn’t recognize the leverage Nebraska kind of has when they talk to these recruits.” – @TimVerghese
Nebraska football is recruiting with state of the art facilities and top tier coaching, not just NIL dollars.
Presented by @CentrisFCU pic.twitter.com/pxzxSqisd4
— Hurrdat Sports (@HurrdatSports) June 20, 2025
Verghese did point out that at the moment, the Cornhuskers don’t have the kind of high-end success that other Big Ten programs have shown this decade. However, according to him, they’re on a path to replicating those, and when they do, they will dominate Big Ten recruitment.
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