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Oregon’s recruiting shows why the Ducks are a longterm threat to even the Big Ten’s best
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As Oregon prepares to make its move to the Big Ten, its obvious recruiting prowess should be alarming to all of its new conference rivals.
The Ducks have landed a quartet of blue-chip prospects this weekend, the latest being 5-star cornerback Dorian Brew. Oregon now has the No. 5 class in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Oregon always had the potential to be a recruiting giant — particularly in the NIL era. Dan Lanning and his staff appear to be fulfilling that potential on the recruiting trail, which makes Oregon a very formidable adversary for the likes of Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.
Of course, Oregon is already starting from a position of power. The Ducks have one of the nation’s best rosters, particularly after signing Dillon Gabriel via the transfer portal this offseason. Gabriel is perhaps a bit underrated because his success at Oklahoma didn’t lead to a ton of team success, but his numbers are impressive: 66% completion percentage with 55 touchdowns, 12 interceptions and 9.1 yards per attempt.
Oregon’s supporting cast is loaded, too. The Ducks are 26th nationally in returning production, per ESPN’s SP+ metric. They also have a blue-chip ratio of 76%, which ranks 5th nationally.
As a result of its 2024 roster strength, Oregon is one of the favorites to win the Big Ten in 2024. The Ducks are +200 to win the Big Ten during their first season in the league, per the latest odds from FanDuel. That trails only Ohio State, who is +155.
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GET THE APPThat’s the baseline that Oregon has set as it enters the Big Ten after going 22-5 over its final 2 years in the Pac-12.
If Oregon continues to recruit at a top-5 level, the Big Ten could be open for Oregon to take — both in 2024 and in future seasons.
RELATED: Will Oregon make the College Football Playoff in 2024? Breaking down the betting odds
Ohio State will always be in the mix, but the Buckeyes have been in a bit of a rut under Ryan Day by their lofty standards — at least against other top competition. OSU hasn’t won the Big Ten since the 2020 season. Oregon has also already defeated Ohio State once in the Day era.
Michigan will have to prove it can continue to operate at a championship level without Jim Harbaugh pulling the strings. Sherrone Moore did well last season when called upon, but until he replicates what his predecessor was able to accomplish, there will be questions about the Wolverines’ future.
Penn State has been good under James Franklin — perhaps better than it has gotten credit for — but has never made that final leap against the best teams in this league. Without having to face the Big Ten East gauntlet every year, Penn State’s path will be a bit easier. But the Nittany Lions may struggle to keep up with Oregon from a talent perspective.
The same could be said for the giants of the former Big Ten West division like Iowa and Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes and Badgers’ will also be facing a more difficult schedule on an annual basis than they did under the league’s previous format.
Respectfully, barring a Nebraska resurgence under Matt Rhule, no one else in the league is capable of competing with an Oregon program that is firing on all cylinders.
Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class currently has 13 blue-chip prospects, including a pair of 5-stars. Ohio State, Penn State and Michigan are the only other Big Ten programs who have double-digit blue-chippers committed at this point in the cycle. USC, UCLA and Washington have just 12 combined.
This isn’t a flash in the pan, either. Oregon has consistently recruited at an elite level under Lanning’s watch. The Ducks have put together back-to-back top-10 classes from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal — and were the only (current) Big Ten program to do so.
The Ducks still have to finish off this 2025 class on a high note, and there’s a long way to go until signing day. But regardless of how this class finishes up, Oregon seems to be well on its way to turning itself into a Big Ten power — and that should be concerning for even the blue bloods in this league.
Spenser is the news manager at Saturday Road and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.