Brandon Lockley Jr. Commitment Fuels Oregon's Recruiting Ranking Rise

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are on a roll on the recruiting trail in April. The Ducks picked up their third commitment in a week on Sunday.

Four-star linebacker Brandon Lockley Jr. committed to Oregon over the Nebraska Cornhuskers, LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide, according to Hayes Fawcett. The Ducks now have 11 commitments in their 2027 recruiting class, which continues to build into something special with plenty of time left in the cycle.

Breaking Down Oregon Ducks’ 2027 Recruiting Class

oregon ducks recruiting brandon lockley linebacker dan lanning will mencl semaj stanford rashad streets josiah molden — Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Ducks rose to No. 6 in the Rivals 2027 recruiting class rankings last Wednesday when five-star quarterback Will Mencl announced his commitment. Four-star safety Semanj Stanford committed on Thursday, and Lockley committed on Sunday, but the last two commits haven’t changed the program’s class standing.

Oregon ranks No. 4 in recruiting class ranking by 247Sports. In comparison, the Ducks ranked No. 2 in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports and No. 4 by Rivals.

Lanning’s 2026 recruiting class was heavily made up of five-star and four-star recruits. While Mencl is the only five-star at the moment, Oregon still has mostly blue-chip commitments but seems to be looking for fit over the overall ranking.

March was a slower month on the recruiting trail for the Ducks, but the recent stretch is very promising for the program. It’s still ahead of the busiest time in recruiting, with summer official visits still on the horizon. That means there are opportunities for players to flip commitments, but at the same time, the team could land plenty more recruits.

Linebacker Brandon Lockley Jr.’s Recruitment

Lockley received offers from Power Four schools like Michigan, Alabama and Penn State. He had four official visits set for late May-early June: Alabama, Duke, Nebraska and Oregon.

The Ducks offered him on Nov. 2, 2025, and he committed on Apr. 26. Oregon linebackers coach Brian Michalowksi led the charge in Lockley’s recruitment. The four-star’s official visit is scheduled for June 19.

The 6-1, 235-pound linebacker plays for St. Joseph’s Prep in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Lanning has secured commitments from all over the country in this cycle, including a heavy presence of recruits from the South.

The East Coast recruit only recently visited Eugene at the beginning of April. It appears that the visit went well, with his commitment serving as the evidence. He became the sixth recruit to commit to Oregon in the month of April alone, joining Mencl, Stanford, edge rusher Rashad Streets, cornerback Ai’King Hall and cornerback Josiah Molden.

Lockley’s commitment fills a need at the linebacker position. The Ducks now have two linebacker commits in the 2027 class, with three-star Sam Ngata joining Lockley. Oregon’s current linebacker room features veteran players Jerry Mixon and Devon Jackson, who are expected to depart the program at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

The 2026 recruiting class included two linebackers: Tristan Phillips and Braylon Hodge. The linebacker group will likely be a younger room in 2027, but that means there are opportunities for Lockley to earn early playing time.

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