Dan Lanning’s Blunt Message to California Recruits After Oregon Beats USC

LOS ANGELES - Ask around at a California high school football game and there are two west coast powerhouses that elite recruits are considering: Oregon and USC.

While the Ducks and the Trojans battle on the field in Big Ten rivalry showdowns, there is another fight going on via the recruiting trail.

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on before a game against the USC Trojans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And Oregon coach Dan Lanning waited until the end of his postgame press conference to bring it up.

Oregon Coach Dan Lanning’s Blunt Message to California Recruits

After Oregon beat USC 41–27 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday evening, the Ducks’ coach turned a victory over a conference opponent into a pitch to recruits in the Trojans’ backyard.

“Three wins against these guys. I guess if you’re interested in winning football games and you’re from this area, you should go to Oregon. If you want to go to a Chris Brown concert, go here,” Lanning said.

A crucial battleground for the Ducks recruiting and their future, Lanning did not waste his opportunity.

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts as quarterback Dante Moore (5) lies on the field with an apparent injury after being tackled by USC Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II (not pictured) during the second quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Stephens II was charged with targeting on the play. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lanning has now beaten USC in all three meetings during his Oregon tenure. This one came on the Trojans’ home field, in front of 75,500 fans, and recruits galore on the sidelines.

In attendance on Saturday night were USC commits and local talent, headlined by five-star athlete Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, four-star cornerback Danny Lang and receiver Quentin Hale, per USC Trojans on SI.

The comment came after USC signed the nation’s No. 1-ranked 2026 recruiting class, built in part around Southern California standouts like five-star tight end Mark Bowman and four-star receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley. All three players are making an early impact for USC.

Social Media Troll

The Ducks social media team also had some fun with the win.

Back in March of this year, USC posted a video of spray painting (Oregon) green grass (USC) cardinal red, shortly after Mater Dei star cornerback Danny Lang chose USC over Oregon. It mocked Lanning’s “the grass is damn green in Eugene” line after the Trojans won the recruiting battle against Oregon.

Flash forward to September, after the Ducks win in Los Angeles and Oregon "zoomed out" of the video to show the spray paint was in the shape of an "L" with the words "there is always a bigger picture."

🦆 https://t.co/SDeL8Pul7c pic.twitter.com/YODU615JK4
— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) September 27, 2026

Oregon's recruiting class ranked No. 5 for the 2026 cycle with recruits from 13 different states. For the 2027 recruiting class rankings, Oregon is at No. 4 and USC is at No. 13.

Lanning and the Ducks got the last word on Saturday night to recruits: Look at the scoreboard.

Heated Oregon-USC Rivalry Takes A Turn

Lanning also made a comment about the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum crowd earlier in his press conference. He said he had watched three USC games on television without seeing the stadium packed, then observed that it was full when Oregon came to town.

“I guess when the Ducks show up, that’s how you fill a coliseum," Lanning said.

The Trojans have now lost five straight in the rivalry, last beating the Ducks in 2016.

The heated rivalry hit a boiling point on Saturday when Trojans linebacker Desman Stephens II lowered his shoulder into Oregon quarterback Dante Moore while sliding during the first quarter. Moore laid motionless on the field and was carted directly to an ambulance where he was taken to LA General County Hospital for further evaluation. Stephens II was called for targeting.

Oregon Ducks QB Dante Moore is carted from the field, directly to the ambulance at L.A. Memorial Coliseum. https://t.co/tELzRi0PlF pic.twitter.com/wJR5GckfiX
— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) September 27, 2026

“He’s in recovery so I don’t want to speak too soon but he is moving and he does have the ability to move," said Lanning of Moore's injury.

Lanning made his feelings clear on the hit.

“Disgusting play.”

-Oregon coach Dan Lanning on Dante Moore targeting play

Said USC coach Lincoln Riley was quick to ask about Moore. https://t.co/iUsUvth94Z pic.twitter.com/AbdSIBxPF4
— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) September 27, 2026

"It's a disgusting play. You don't want to see it happen. It's disappointing that it happened. I'm praying that our player's healthy, and I'm praying that their player can learn from that situation, because that's not a moment youwant to be a part of," Lanning said.

Oregon finished with 504 yards of offense and scored touchdowns on four second-half possessions. Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola, who entered after Dante Moore was injured, completed 19 of 25 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns. Dierre Hill Jr. rushed for two scores and added 105 receiving yards, while Jamari Johnson led the Ducks with 119 yards on seven catches.

"First of all, I want to say that I hope Dante is OK," Riley said at the beginning of his press conference.

"You never want to see that out of any opponent. No matter how competitive the game gets. "These are all people at the end of the day on both sides. So we wish him a speedy recovery."

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