Ducks Digest

Oregon Ducks’ National Recruiting Poised to Disrupt Big Ten Power Order

Recruiting can take a college's coaches far and wide to search for talent to fill a roster. For the Oregon Ducks, coach Dan Lanning and crew travel farther than the rest of the programs in the Big Ten Conference.
Ally Osborne|
Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning leaves the field after the win over Oklahoma State at Autzen.
Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning leaves the field after the win over Oklahoma State at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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When it comes to recruiting for college football, coaches travel far and wide to find the best talent to fill a roster. For coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks, they're traveling farther than any of the other schools in the Big Ten Conference.

In a recent study by Rivals, the Ducks came in No. 1 for the team with the farthest based commits in the class of 2026. In terms of the overall recruiting rankings, Oregon has the No. 3 class on Rivals, and the Ducks are only behind No. 1 USC in the Big Ten.

By combining all of the miles the Duck recruits have to travel to get to Eugene, Oregon, the Ducks rack up a total commit milage of 1,524.

Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning, left, and Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi discus their game plan during the game against Okla
Oregon Head Coach Dan Lanning, left, and Defensive Coordinator Tosh Lupoi discus their game plan during the game against Oklahoma State. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Big Ten Schools Miles for Commits

1. Maryland, 170.3 miles
2. Iowa, 275.7 miles
3. Penn State, 291.8 miles
4. Indiana, 342.7 miles
5. Rutgers, 366.4 miles
6. Purdue, 402.5 miles
7. Northwestern, 459.4 miles
8. Illinois, 486.5 miles
9. Wisconsin, 658.6
10. Michigan State, 699.1 miles
11. USC, 758.8 miles
12. Ohio State, 773.8 miles
13. Nebraska, 801.9 miles
14. Washington, 820.3 miles
15. Michigan, 895.4 miles
16. Minnesota, 970.2 miles
17. UCLA, 1217.1 miles
18. Oregon, 1523.6 miles

Oregon cheerleaders lead fans in a cheer during the Duck’s game against Oklahoma State at Autzen.
Oregon cheerleaders lead fans in a cheer during the Duck’s game against Oklahoma State at Autzen. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who is Traveling the Farthest?

When it comes to which Oregon commits boast the biggest commutes, it all comes down to some of the Ducks' top gets in the class of 2026. We collected the top five longest commutes for Oregon's 2026 athlete gets from Google Maps to shed some light on the subject.

Oregon's Farthest Class of 2026 Commits

1. Xavier Lherisse, Safety, Melbourne, Florida, 3,128.2 miles
2. Kendre Harrison, Athlete, Reidsville, North Carolina, 2,820.9 miles
3. Immanuel Iheanacho, Offensive Line, Rockville, Maryland, 2,804.9 miles
4. Messiah Hampton, Wide Receiver, Rochester, New York, 2,728 miles
5. Koloi Keli, Offensive Line, Honolulu, Hawaii, 2,529.5 miles

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Sep 6, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Fans cheer as the Oregon Ducks run out to the field before a game agains the Oklahoma State
Sep 6, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Fans cheer as the Oregon Ducks run out to the field before a game agains the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Addressing the Distance

One of the biggest factors surrounding Oregon's recruitment is the Ducks' location on the West Coast, which is typically a farther hike for recruits based in the South and the East Coast, likely adding to the distance disparity between Oregon and other Big Ten schools.

When ESPN's Pat McAfee interviewed Lanning in Eugene, Oregon before the then No. 2 nationally ranked Ducks took on No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen, McAfee highlighted the 10 hour flight he took to Eugene and asked Lanning about whether the distance was a selling point for Oregon or not.

Oregon quarterback Luke Moga finds room to run as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autze
Oregon quarterback Luke Moga finds room to run as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I think its a great thing," Lanning said to McAfee. "I think its as big as you make it. And for us its the enjoyment of getting to spend time connecting with each other and will certainly make some travel trips but we'll enjoy that no doubt about it."

"You can go on a fifteen minute walk, even less, and you're right by a river. You're an hour from the coast, an hour from the mountains. This place is one of the most unique places in the world to see true beauty," Lanning added.

As Lanning and the Ducks push for another top-five recruiting class in 2026, the future certainly seems bright at Oregon.

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI, Ally Osborne is a born and raised Oregonian. She graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021 after interning for the Oregon Sports Network with experience working on live sporting broadcasts for ESPN, FOX Sports, the PAC 12 Network, and Runnerspace. Osborne continued her career in Bend, Oregon as a broadcast reporter in 2021 for Central Oregon Daily News while writing for Oregon Ducks on SI. Since then, Osborne is entering her third season reporting for the publication and is frequently the on-site reporter for home games at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. She is currently the host of lifestyle shows "Everyday Northwest" and "Tower Talk Live" for KOIN 6 News in Portland, Oregon. Osborne also works as a sports reporter for KOIN 6's "Game On" sports department. In her free time, Osborne is an avid graphic designer, making art commissions for athletes across her home state. Osborne's designs have even become tattoos for a few Duck athletes.

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