Oregon Ducks 5-Star Recruit Anthony 'Tank' Jones Estimated NIL Earnings Revealed

Five-star edge recruit Anthony 'Tank' Jones committed to the Oregon Ducks on Friday. Jones picked Oregon over the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies, likely coming down to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal. Jones' estimated NIL agreement with the Ducks was revealed.

Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning congratulates players after defeating the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Five-star edge Anthony “Tank” Jones committed to the Oregon Ducks to close out the month of July. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks have immense recruiting momentum with the class of 2026, as Jones was not the only five-star recruit the program received a commitment from in the past couple of days. 

Jones committed to Oregon during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. Per the Rivals Industry Ranking, Jones is the No. 22 recruit in the nation, the No. 4 edge rusher, and the No. 1 player from Alabama. Jones picked the Oregon Ducks over the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas A&M Aggies.

Oct 28, 2023; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning congratulates players after defeating the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

NIL Numbers For Jones

Alabama was putting up a strong fight for Jones, but Lanning and the Ducks were able to pull the strings to earn one of the top recruits in the nation. When in a close battle for a commitment, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals likely played a role.

“Certainly, you don’t win this kind of recruiting battle without being heavily armed on the NIL front,” Rivals VP of Recruiting Steve Wilftong said. “I think Anthony ‘Tank’ Jones is someone that is getting a deal worth over $1 million for his first season.”

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

“Oregon, Texas A&M, and Alabama all battled on that front. And then where Oregon’s at as a program. He also talked to me about this recruiting class and said, ‘I think we can get Oregon closer to that first national championship that they covet.”

While NIL was likely not the sole reason for Jones’ commitments, with Lanning and the Ducks’ staff building a strong relationship with the five-star recruit, it is still believed to have played a role in his commitment. 

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“This is where he wanted to go, and I think Oregon then had to check the box from an NIL front, and they were able to do that,” Wiltfong continued.

In Jones’ 2024 junior season, he racked up 84 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks. With Oregon’s history under Lanning, the Ducks have developed talented defensive linemen, including recent first-round draft pick Derrick Harmon. With Jones’ talent, he could become a difference maker right away with the Ducks. 

Nov 9, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, center, watches the defense during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Oregon Class of 2026 Momentum

With Jones, the Oregon Ducks are up to 17 commits, five of whom are five-star recruits. With the success in recruiting, the Ducks rose in the recruiting rankings for the class of 2026. The program now ranks No. 3 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten, per Rivals.

Although Oregon has more five-star recruits than the USC Trojans and Georgia Bulldogs, the two programs have over 30 commits, with at least 20 being four-star recruits. The quantity of commitments is likely the reason Oregon is below USC and Georgia.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads practice for the Ducks Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023, in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

In addition to Jones, the five-star recruits headed to Eugene from the class of 2026 are tight end Kendre Harrison, safety Jett Washington, defensive back Davon Benjamin, and offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho. If all five sign, it will break the program record for the most five-stars in one recruiting class.

With the elite talent Lanning and the Ducks are bringing in, Oregon is on track to maintain being one of the nation’s top programs.