Oregon Ducks To Add Another Quarterback Recruit To Class After Bryson Beaver Commit?

The Oregon Ducks missed out on five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons, who announced his commitment to BYU over the Ducks on Tuesday. However, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks landed the commitment of four-star quarterback Bryson Beaver on Wednesday.

Beaver is a product of Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, CA and ranked as the No. 55 quarterback in the class and the No. 93 overall player in the state of California, per 247Sports' rankings. Beaver has been one of the fastest risers in the 2026 class after an exciting performance at the Elite 11 finals in Los Angeles.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leaves the field after a CFP Quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Beaver is Oregon's only quarterback commit in the 2026 class. Will the Ducks look to add another quarterback? It's not uncommon to have two incoming quarterbacks in a recruiting class or even a transfer portal class. Four-star quarterback Matt Ponatoski is a two-sport athlete who Oregon has been pursuing.

Arkansas and Kentucky are pushing the Ducks as one of three teams in hot pursuit over Ponatoski. The No. 21 quarterback and and No. 12 player in the state of Ohio according to 247Sports Composite rankings, Oregon is looking to secure a pledge from a riser in the 2026 recruiting class.

Ponatoski recently competed at the Elite 11, where he competed and made the final roster out of 20 quarterbacks. The Ohio native was named as the top performer during the pro day workout session, edging out multiple prospects ranked higher than him like USC commit Jonas Williams and Oklahoma commit Bowe Bentley.

Matt Ponatoski delivers a touchdown strike for the Crusaders at RDI Stadium, Sept. 20, 2024. | Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic said that Ponatoski was one of the biggest surprises of the Elite 11 and that he stood out multiple times throughout the camp.

"The most pleasant surprise to me was Ohio’s Matt Ponatoski...the two-sport star has an electric arm. That arm wowed me Thursday morning in his 7-on-7 performance. The 6-1, 196-pounder, who is uncommitted, made two “wow” throws to receivers who didn’t look open at all, but he fired the ball into the only spot he could and completed the passes. It was impressive," Feldman said.

Interestingly enough, Ponatoski was committed to Missouri as an eighth grader for baseball, but opened things up and eventually switched his focus to the gridiron.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Although a bit on the shorter end in terms of size, Ponatoski would be an excellent fit in Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein's offense as he offers plus athleticism and offers the ability to fit into multiple offensive schemes.

A product of Archbishop Moeller (Ohio) - Ponatoski is Ohio’s Gatorade State Player of the Year in football and baseball and he plans to play both sports in college. The quarterback Ponatoski led his team to an Ohio state title, throwing for an impressive 4,217 yards and 57 touchdowns passes. On the baseball diamond, Ponatoski is a shortstop/third baseman and ranked as a top-20 prospect nationally.

Football coach Lanning and baseball coach Mark Wasikowski would score in a big way with his commit.

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