Oregon Hosting Major 4-Star Quarterback Recruit During Boise State Game

Season openers for the Oregon Ducks draw more than crowds. High-profile recruits are also scheduled to take in Autzen Stadium.

Including a rising four-star quarterback, who becomes one of the headline recruiting visitors for the Boise State contest to start the 2026 campaign.

Who will Visit Oregon vs. Boise State

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Blue chip class of 2028 quarterback from Waller High School in Texas Tristin Gaines is a confirmed Sept. 5 visitor to Eugene, per Sam Spiegelman of On3/Rivals.

That means Gaines will get his chance to see quarterback Dante Moore operate with his plethora of weapons on the field. But the Boise State contest won't be Gaines' only time he'll watch the Ducks.

"Gaines is the No. 8-rated quarterback in the Rivals300 for the Class of 2028. He camped in Eugene over the summer and collected an offer from the Oregon coaching staff. He tells Rivals that he will be in town this weekend for the game (Sept. 5) and also next month (Oct. 10), when UCLA is in town," Spiegelman wrote.

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Oregon started rising in popularity for Gaines back on Aug. 13. He even stated to Rivals how "Oregon is a standout, for sure," while stating that coach Dan Lanning, quarterback coach Koa Ka'ai, plus offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer are all pursuing Gaines the hardest.

Gaines added how he believes Oregon's offensive setup fits his athleticism and style of play. Now Oregon can aim to persuade Gaines into verbally committing for the 2028 class, and hand the Ducks their latest quarterback recruiting victory.

Especially after taking some notable losses for the 2028 class already on the passer side.

Notable Quarterbacks Who Passed on Oregon

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Oregon is stockpiled at quarterback with Moore leading the way and former five-star Nebraska signing Dylan Raiola backing him up. Meanwhile, five-star quarterback per Rivals Will Mencl represents Oregon's 2027 class.

Yet the Ducks absorbed not one, but two notable recruiting losses for the 2028 class. All the more reason why recruiting Gaines surfaces as a major priority for Oregon.

Five-star quarterback Christopher Vargas landed an early scholarship offer from the Ducks. But the prospect from Danvers, Massachusetts ended up shutting his recruiting process down ahead of his junior season, by choosing Oregon's Big Ten rival Ohio State in early August.

But Vargas isn't the only notable 2028 recruiting quarterback loss for the Ducks. Oregon tried luring in three-star from Frisco, Texas Trey Wright, who drew comparisons to Minnesota Vikings starting quarterback and past Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray. Wright chose the Ducks' longtime rival USC instead, making that decision on Aug. 15.

Hence why Gaines is rising as the more popular choice at the moment for the Ducks on the recruiting trail. Yet the Ducks are still presented other intriguing options for the same class. Four-star dual-threat passer and Moreno Valley, California native Josiah Boyd is visiting Oregon on Sept. 18 when Portland State comes to town. So Gaines and Boyd are two quarterbacks to closely monitor among Ducks fans, with the former entering Autzen first.

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