Oregon Ducks Battling Big Ten Powerhouses for Elite Safety Recruit out of Indiana

EUGENE – Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and his staff have made the 2027 recruiting class a priority, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking further ahead.

The Ducks are also recruiting top players from the 2028 class. Indiana safety Drake Coellner revealed in a recent interview that Oregon is among his top teams at this stage in his recruitment.

Safety Drake Coellner’s Recruitment

oregon ducks recruiting dan lanning drake coellner safety cornerback dillon thieneman transfer portal nfl draft jadon canady — Nov 29, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the second half against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Coellner named Oregon, the Michigan Wolverines, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Ole Miss Rebels and the Vanderbilt Commodores as the programs high on his list, per Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.

The Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans and Purdue Boilermakers are the three other Big Ten programs to extend offers to Coellner so far. The recruit posted on March 5 that Oregon became another Big Ten team to give him an offer.

WOW! After a great conversation with @vmckinley23 I am blessed to have received an offer from Oregon!!! @SWiltfong_ @AllenTrieu @adamgorney @KyleNeddenriep @RivalsHS @EzeObiora2 @TheUCReport @TomLoy247 @LemmingReport @CoachMillz_ @coach_craig21 @GregSmithRivals pic.twitter.com/5i2ECC3wtr
— Drake Coellner 2028 (@DrakeCoellner) March 6, 2026

The elite safety totaled 72 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass breakups and a fumble recovery as a sophomore for Carmel High School. Coellner has experience in high school playing at both safety and cornerback, so he’s already versatile. He also scored three touchdowns as a sophomore, two being pick-sixes and the other on a punt return.

Coellner is additionally interested in the Ohio State Buckeyes. He unofficially visited Columbus in November to watch a game against the UCLA Bruins. He’s set to visit the Buckeyes again on March 12, so that could be a big competitor for the Ducks in his recruitment.

The Ducks haven't been shy about offering 2028 recruits, especially at the defensive back position. Lanning already extended a pair of offers to twin four-star cornerbacks Amir Woodward and Adrian Woodward. The team could be on its way to securing some elite commitments before the 2028 cycle even picks up steam.

Oregon's Recent Success Stories

Coellner told Rivals that the Ducks’ ability to churn out NFL-ready defensive backs is an incentive to potentially head to Eugene.

The Ducks have a strong chance of having a first-round safety in the 2026 NFL Draft. Dillon Thieneman only spent one season with the program after transferring from Purdue, which isn’t far from where Coellner plays high school football. Thieneman's lone season at Oregon was an impressive one, providing consistency and stability for the defense and delivering signature moments like a walk-off interception at Penn State.

Jadon Canady, who also transferred ahead of the 2025 season, is another defensive back who is probable to get drafted this spring. Other examples of drafted defensive backs in the Lanning coaching era include safety Evan Williams and cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Lanning hasn’t yet seen as much success in defensive backs getting drafted after spending their entire collegiate careers with the Ducks. There have been players like defensive back Dontae Manning, who started and ended their careers at Oregon and then signed as undrafted free agents in the NFL. Current cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. will almost surely change the trend of homegrown defensive backs in the league if he declares for the 2028 NFL Draft.

The Ducks have experienced plenty of success at other positions where the team more commonly develops players than looks to the transfer portal. Oregon continues to send talent to the NFL, which seems to make Eugene a desirable destination for Coellner and other recruits.