Fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance, Dan Lanning welcomed the statistically best class in recruiting history.
Dan Lanning Assembles Highest-Rated Recruit Haul Ever
The Oregon Ducks keep gaining ground. Years after being minimized to nothing but famous cleats and uniforms, the Ducks didn’t just wet their beak; they went wing-deep. According to the AVG Recruit Ranking, the Ducks can now boast the best class in history.
Why does that matter?
Lanning and Oregon present the strongest challenge to Ohio State and its Big Ten dominance. Remember, the Ducks handed the Buckeyes their first loss of 2024. Now, the team has replenished its depth and upgraded its athleticism.
The Oregon Ducks 2025 Recruiting Class was their BEST CLASS EVER by AVG Recruit Ranking.
Dan Lanning led the Ducks to a 94.37 AVG Recruit Ranking which is 2.18 points better than the 2024 class and 3.47 points higher than the 2023 class.
The 2025 class is a historically great… pic.twitter.com/MMgXrANv4h
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) March 4, 2025
The Ducks did not need to go all in for a five-star prospect, mortgaging their present for just one player. Instead, Oregon took it upon themselves to assemble twelve four-star enrollees. Yes, only two of their freshman recruits are five-star recruits, according to 247Sports.
In other words, the back-end depth will consist of the nation’s best high school players during their class year. Furthermore, Oregon stocked up on elite-level transfers, picking up ten players, nine of whom were four-star or higher.
The transfer portal netted them three potential starters along the offensive line. Seniors Isaiah World (Nevada), Emmanuel Pregnon (USC), and Alex Harkey (Texas State) provide the offense with talent that will immediately manifest on the field.
The Ducks want to spread the ball around, and to do so, they will need to give the quarterback time and space. Harkey, a converted tight, should shore up the right side with a blend of footwork and power.
World spurned Ohio State in favor of Oregon, providing blindside protection on the left side. Pregnon, a 2024 All-Big Ten selection (second team fancies a mauling style that befits a guard.
When prized recruit quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele enrolled, the presumption remained that he would eventually be the starter. Sagapolutele traded in Eugene for Berkeley and transferred to Cal. However, Oregon already signed Akili Smith, Jr. Yes, he is the son of former Duck Akili Smith.
Like his father, the younger Smith brings an electric arm and a pocket presence that will look to shred defenses on vertical passes. Believe it or not, they do not miss Sagapolutele or what he would’ve contributed. Lanning doesn’t worry when you have a winning scheme, and Nike money stands behind you.
Look at the trio of wideout Dakorien Moore and defensive backs Na’eem Offord and Trey McNutt. Moore can take the shortest pass the distance and catch eyeballs.
Offord is versatile and could line up at every spot in the secondary, making plays at each. McNutt marries the sought-after tools of speed and the ability to hit the ball carrier with technique and aggression.
247Sports holds Moore and Offord in such high regard that they list them as Oregon’s second and sixth-best prospects since 2000. On a list that contains Kayvon Thibodeaux (1st) and Haloti Ngata (4th), such high praise solidifies Lanning’s recruiting acumen.
KEEP READING: Dan Lanning Continues to Build Oregon’s 2026 Recruiting Class with 4-Star Commit Xavier Lherisse
Lanning can almost taste that national championship. Moreover, Oregon’s ability to keep winning those championships has transformed it from a program that could not win the big one to a team that will perennially challenge for one.
After decades of talent and disappointing results late, the Ducks can start changing their fortunes this fall.
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