Oregon Ducks Five-Star Recruit To Visit Eugene After Flip Alert

Five-star outside linebacker recruit Anthony 'Tank' Jones was on flip watch last week because he visited the Miami Hurricanes during last weekend's game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

From Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal, Jones verbally committed to the Oregon Ducks in late July, but the early signing period isn't until December - leaving ample time for Jones to change his mind. Many have been concerned that Miami and coach Mario Cristobal (former Ducks coach) may be able to sway Jones to stay closer to home.

Despite the Miami visit, hopes are high that Jones still has Oregon at the top of his mind - he will be in Eugene on Sept. 6. while the No. 6 Oregon Ducks take on the unranked Oklahoma State Cowboys, per Rivals. This will mark his first visit to Oregon since the summer.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Tosh Lupoi Anthony 'Tank' JonesMiami Hurricanes Alabama Crimson Tide Texas A&M Aggies Auburn Tigers — Oregon coach Dan Lanning speaks during Oregon football’s Media Day on July 28, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Is Jones On Flip Watch?

The Jones family is from Mobile, Alabama but for them Oregon is like a second home.

“It’s like a home away from home. It’s like a down South state that’s on the West coast," Jones' father told Rivals. "Plus the coaching staff, those guys man they’ve been doing a great job outside of football. That plays a big part too.”

While the younger Jones has been interacting with other programs like Miami, and considered Alabama, Texas A&M and Auburn prior to his commitment to Oregon, his father still believes Jones firm in his commitment to the Ducks, per Rivals.

Jones is ranked the No. 1 player in Alabama in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Oregon also landed the commitment of the No. 1 player in Alabama in the 2025 recruiting cycle in five-star defensive backNa'eem Offord.

It won't be easy to battle off college football powerhouses looking to flip Jones but the Ducks have a chance and history on their side.

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Oregon's Surging 2026 Recruiting Class

Lanning's Ducks are tied with the Alabama Crimson Tide for the most five-star commits in the 2026 recruiting cycle with four, including Jones.

Oregon's 2026 recruiting class has surged from near top-50 to being the summer to now, currently ranked No. 3 in recruiting rankings by On3. Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class is highlighted by five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho. Iheanacho made history as the highest-rated offensive lineman commit in program history.

The other two four-star commits in Oregon's class are: five-star safety Jett Washington and five-star tight end Kendre Harrison. Anticipation is high for Jones, Washington, Iheanacho and Harrison.

Oregon's recruiting class has 17 commits and ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference, behind only the No. 1 ranked USC Trojans. USC has nearly double the total amount of recruits Oregon has with 32.