Oregon Faces Big Ten Competition For Recruit Lucas Rhoa

The Oregon Ducks have made a major push for three-star interior offensive lineman Lucas Rhoa out of Orange Lutheran High School in California.

Oregon has prioritized Rhoa throughout his recruitment, but according to the latest update from Rivals, the Ducks are not the only program gaining momentum.

Oregon Staff Visits Recruit Lucas Rhoa

Oregon Ducks recruiting Lucas Rhoa penn state nittany lions ucla bruins dan lanning eugene autzen stadium official visit — Oregon football coach Dan Lanning introduces the song “Shout” during the Ducks' game against Oregon State at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene April 22, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks visited the talented prospect at the very beginning of the evaluation period, which is something that can't be taken lightly.

For the Oregon Ducks to visit the talented prospect on the first day of the evaluation confirms how big a prospect Rhoa is on their board. As many can expect, coaches get very eager to go and see their top recruiting targets, which means many of the targets that are at the top of their board get visited very early in the timeline, with some of them coming on the first day of the evaluation period.

Lucas Rhoa Sets Two New Official Visits

Speaking of the final decision, the Oregon Ducks are now joined by two more schools as they will have to battle the UCLA Bruins, along with the Penn State Nittany Lions. The two schools were added to his official visit list, as he will visit the UCLA program on June 5, along with visiting the Penn State program on June 12, according to Rivals.

Both schools would love to add him to their class, as both are in need of an interior offensive lineman commit. As of now, the UCLA Bruins have two interior offensive line commits in the class of 2027, as they have four-star Jackson Roper, along with three-star Gage Esty (according to 247Sports), committed. Adding a guy like Rhoa would be huge for their class and would also help secure that position moving forward.

May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins coach Bob Chesney reacts during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

As for the Penn State Nittany Lions, they are in a similar situation. The Nittany Lions have two interior offensive linemen committed to their program, as three-star Owen Reilly and three-star Jon Sassic (according to 247Sports) are both committed. If they added Rhoa, he would be arguably their best interior offensive lineman commit in the class of 2027 and would be one of the last pieces to the puzzle that they would need on the interior of their offensive line.

Lucas Rhoa Fit With Oregon Ducks

If Rhoa were to commit to the Oregon Ducks, he would be one of the more intriguing interior offensive linemen both on paper and on the field. He ranks as the No. 517 player in the nation and is someone who could make a major jump before his high school football career is over. He is a three-star as of now, but he could make a jump to four-star status if he continues to improve.

The Ducks currently have 12 commits in the 2027 recruiting class, but only one commit at this moment is on the interior of the offensive line, as that commitment is three-star interior offensive line recruit Gus Cosair. If the Ducks can land Rhoa and pair him with Cosair, they will be in fine shape.

The timeline of a commitment has yet to be announced, but it is easy to assume that the decision will come after his official visits. The timeline will play an important factor in how the Oregon Ducks target the rest of the class, as they can't cut off communication with interior offensive linemen, considering they need to add more to the position group regardless of whether it is Rhoa or not.

Considering the communication consistency, it is likely that the Ducks would love to have him commit to the program, and they would likely value his commitment higher than some others who could find themselves behind Rhoa on the recruiting board.

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