5-Star Recruit Immanuel Iheanacho Compares Oregon Ducks, Alabama, Maryland

Five-star offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho announced his final seven schools on Saturday, and the Oregon Ducks made the cut. Oregon coach Dan Lanning is recruiting against Alabama, Penn State, LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn, and Maryland for the elite prospect.

Iheanacho is the No. 3 recruit in the nation, the No. 2 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 player from the state of Maryland, according to 247Sports' rankings. He's one of the most sought-after recruits in the class of 2026, and his decision has come down to seven programs.

Iheanacho spoke with On3's Chad Simmons about each of his finalists. According to the five-star himself, the Maryland Terrapins currently hold the edge in his recruitment.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning speaks during a Rose Bowl press conference in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Maryland is still the top school for me. After visits to LSU and Texas A&M, I like them a lot more, but there is still a sizeable gap between Maryland and the other schools," said Iheanacho.

Not the best news for Ducks fans as Iheanacho seems to be leaning towards staying closer to home in college, and Oregon is the farthest away out of his top-seven schools. The Ducks' inclusion in Iheanacho's final schools is a testament to the recruiting abilities of Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his entire staff. Oregon offensive line coach A'lique Terry has the Ducks in the race, but they seem to trail a number of schools besides Maryland.

“It is the development at Oregon. Coach Lanning and coach Terry are great coaches and they we strong relationship," Iheanacho told On3.

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Is the allure of the Alabama Crimson Tide and the SEC enough to pull Iheanacho out of Maryland?

“Coach DeBoer and coach Kap (Chris Kapilovic) have made me feel like a priority," Iheanacho said to Simmons. "I was there for the Iron Bowl too, and it was a great experience. Alabama has great people there and they offer great hospitality.”

While Iheanacho says he is leaning towards staying closer to home, he is still going through the recruiting process and building relationships with multiple programs. He has taken multiple visits to his top schools, but he is still planning to take more official visits.

Nov 30, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer walks onto the field before a game against the Auburn Tigers at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

“I am really big on relationships. After reflecting on things with God and my parents, the relationships are what is most important to me. A few schools on my list have brought up prices with me and talked that, but I am about making the big money in the NFL, so I am basing my list off of relationships," Iheanacho told On3.

Can the Ducks convince Iheanacho to come back to Eugene, Oregon, in the fall? Lanning and his staff have signed some of the best recruiting classes in the country in recent years, including top offensive linemen like Josh Conerly Jr., Douglas Utu, and Ziyare Addison. In 2026, the Ducks hold a commitment from five-star offensive tackle prospect Kodi Greene.

“The official visits are a lot of glitz and glamour, so the unofficial visits may be more important to me, but the official visits will be huge for my family,” Iheanacho said to On3. “The spring practices may be bigger for me, but my parents being with me and getting to see the school for 48 hours will be huge. They will see what the city is like, how they feel about the coaches and they will learn about the academics. It is my decision, but they will learn a lot about the school and the people at the school.”