High School Connection on Display During Oregon Recruiting Visit

The Oregon Ducks are currently hosting class of 2027 recruit, cornerback Hayden Stepp on an official visit.

Hayden Stepp Visiting Eugene

oregon ducks dan lanning recruiting hayden stepp official visit eugene cal georgia kirby smart jett washington bishop gorman — Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Hayden Stepp is a 6-3, 185 pound cornerback out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He is rated as a four-star recruit and ranked as the No. 6 cornerback in the class of 2027. Stepp was seen on Friday wearing a full Oregon uniform. His former high school teammate and Oregon class of 2026 recruit, safety Jett Washington posted this picture on his Instagram story. Take a look below.

Elite 4-Star CB Hayden Stepp on his Oregon OV 🦆 pic.twitter.com/1wB00UCRDH
— Oregon Updates (@oregon__updates) June 13, 2026

Jett Washington and Hayden Stepp both starred in the defensive backfield for Mater Dei High School. Washington is a 6-5, safety in the Ducks’ 2026 recruiting class that was rated as a five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked safety in his class according to 247Sports.

Oregon hopes that by having Washington already as a member of their 2026 team and with Stepp in Eugene during his visit that it will help them eventually receive the commitment from Stepp.

Per a post from his Instagram back in April, Stepp has narrowed down his commitment decision to four schools: the Oregon Ducks, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, and California Golden Bears.

Prior to his visit to Oregon, he was an his official visit to Alabama on May 29. After Steepp leaves Eugene, he will be off to Berkeley for his Cal official visit on June 15. Then he will be off to Athens for an official visit with Georgia.

Oregon Ducks' Competition For Hayden Stepp

In addition to the high school connection between Stepp and Washington is connections with Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the other competition in this recruiting battle.

Before being hired as head coach by Oregon, Lanning was the defensive coordinator for Georgia from 2019-2021. In his last season in 2021 under Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Lanning’s defense led the way for the Bulldogs to capture the program’s first national championship since 1980.

That 2021 defense was arguably the greatest unit in college football history, as they allowed just 10.2 points per game. Futhermore, that defensive unit ended up producing seven first round picks in the NFL Draft.

In the offseason, Lanning accepted the head coaching position at Oregon. In his first four seasons at the helm, he has a 48-8 record. This includes back-to-back trips to the College Football Playoff in 2024 and 2025.

Lanning will have to out-recruit the person who he coached under (Kirby Smart) to land Stepp.

Lanning also has a connection with Cal, as the Golden Bears first year head coach is former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. Lupoi was the defensive coordinator on Lanning’s staff from 2022-2025.

The Ducks currently have the No. 9 ranked 2027 recruiting class according to Rivals. This ranked No. 3 in the Big Ten behind the Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans. Oregon has received 17 total class of 2027 commitments so far.

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