Oregon Ducks Four-Star Target Reveals Recruiting Frontrunners

EUGENE – The Oregon Ducks are among 2027 four-star offensive line recruit Qua Ford’s finalists. It appears the Oregon coach, Dan Lanning, has work to do to secure his commitment.

Ford revealed his two frontrunners ahead of his spring official visits, and the Ducks didn't make the cut.

Offensive Tackle Qua Ford’s Recruiting Finalists

oregon ducks recruiting qua ford offensive line dan lanning ohio state buckeyes smu mustangs a'lique terry drew fielder avery — Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the fourth quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Ford recently told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman that it’s “50-50” between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the SMU Mustangs. The offensive lineman narrowed his list of potential schools down to five back in November. Oregon joined the Buckeyes, Mustangs, Texas A&M Aggies and Tennessee Volunteers in his top five.

The four-star is one of the top offensive tackles in the 2027 recruiting class. Ford competes for Texas High in Texarkana, which is the same school that 2026 Oregon running back commit Tradarian Ball played for.

SMU offered Ford back in January 2024, while Ohio State extended an offer in June 2025. He has official visits for both programs scheduled in the spring. Ford is set to go to SMU at the beginning of May and Ohio State at the beginning of June.

Oregon’s Offensive Line Outlook

The Ducks have five commitments in the 2027 recruiting class, with two of them being offensive linemen. Four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder and three-star offensive tackle Avery Michael both committed at the beginning of February.

Lanning and offensive line coach A’lique Terry are set to bring in five-star offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho in 2026. Oregon also has offensive tackle Fox Crader, offensive guard Douglas Utu and 2026 four-star Tommy Tofi all expected to be on the roster past 2026.

The Ducks are also in the mix for other offensive linemen recruits in the 2027 class, such as offensive tackle Gecova Doyal. With a youthful and talented offensive line room, it’s possible that recruits like Ford might be pivoting away from Oregon to programs where they’re more likely to earn early playing time.

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How the Ducks Can Re-Enter the Mix

Ford cited his relationship with Ohio State offensive line coach Tyler Bowen as playing a big part in where the Buckeyes rank for him.

The Oregon coaching staff prioritizes building connections with players as a big part of its recruiting strategy. Lanning and his staff used the end of January to travel across the country and meet with different recruiting targets. Lanning spoke about his approach to recruiting on Duck Insider during National Signing Day.

“Everywhere you go, they're going to say, ‘Oh, the people are the separator.’ Obviously, here at Oregon, we have great facilities. We challenge ourselves to innovate,” Lanning said, “We've got awesome jerseys. We've got everything that you see outside looking in, that you can see from Oregon, but when you get inside, right, that's when you start to figure out the secret ingredient.”

“And there's, there's a million people in this staff that make our place different, because the relationship, if you come to Oregon, yeah, you're gonna have a relationship with the head coach,” he continued. “You're gonna have a relationship with your position coach. But it's also that person in player development that's helping chip in. It's that person in recruiting. It's that person that's serving you lunch every day. And those things become separators for us.”

More visits from the Ducks’ coaching staff with recruiting targets could potentially go a long way. Oregon has a busy spring ahead between hosting official visits and practicing for the Spring Game, but the staff should be hard at work in pursuing top recruits.