Oregon Still Battling Michigan for Prized Five-Star Receiver Recruit

The Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines appear to be entrenched in a recruiting battle.

oregon ducks coach dan lanning greets fans before a college football playoff first round game vs. James Madison at Autzen Stadium | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

The Oregon Ducks are aiming to boost their 2027 recruiting class.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks already landed three-star wide receiver Malachi Garlington, flipping him from Washington State. Fellow three-star edge rusher Achilles Reyna verbally committed too following his Eugene visit.

Oregon is trying to land five-star wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, though, as its next massive recruiting move. However, Guerrant's recruitment comes with stiff competition in the Big Ten.

Oregon's Rising Threat in Landing 5-Star Dakota Guerrant

Oregon Ducks dante moore dan lanning eugene nfl draft big ten college football playoff evan stewart dylan raiola practice nil | oregon ducks on si will seibert

It's good news and bad news for Ducks fans when it comes to the Harper Woods High of Michigan star Guerrant.

The good news per national recruiting director for 247Sports Tom Loy: Oregon remains in the hunt. But Loy dove into the bad.

"The Wolverines are doing everything possible to keep him home," Loy wrote.

The Ducks and Wolverines have been trending for Guerrant for the latest in his recruitment, but there's another reason why Michigan's involvement puts Oregon on high alert.

Michigan's Success Recruiting In-State Prospects

Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) shares a laughter with running back Jordan Marshall (23), left, during the spring game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Michigan has already prevented one massive in-state talent from leaving. Albeit at the expense of flipping him.

Quarterback Bryce Underwood rose to five-star status out of Belleville, Michigan, for the 2025 class. The LSU Tigers claimed him first during a time Brian Kelly led the SEC powerhouse.

Except the Wolverines intervened through an aggressive push that included a reported $10 million NIL deal. Underwood eventually accepted the Wolverines' offer. He even stayed down pat during the fallout of coach Sherrone Moore's firing from the program.

Underwood is now expected to lead the Wolverines under new coach Kyle Whittingham. Clearly the former Utah coach and his Michigan staff want to prevent Guerrant from drifting off to Eugene, and Underwood's presence is one major recruiting sell out of Ann Arbor for Guerrant.

Except the Ducks still present lots of room to bring in the blue chip talent.

Why Oregon May Be the Team to Beat for Guerrant

Harper Woods wide receiver Dakota Guerrant (1) runs a route during a Division 4 regional final against Divine Child High School at John Glenn High School in Westland on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. | David Rodriguez Muñoz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon can flash more than its uniforms here thanks to proven production from Ducks wide receivers.

Lanning plays his blue chip recruits out of the gate. Just take a look at 2025 five-star wideout Dakorien Moore, who opened up the offense last season in Eugene. Moore went on to average nearly 15 yards a catch and will more than likely see more targets this fall in his sophomore season.

Jeremiah McClellan earned early action too on the perimeter, catching 41 passes for 581 yards in his first two seasons after coming over as a four-star. He's another bound to play an expanded role for Lanning and the Ducks offense.

Guerrant walks into a place that's putting out NFL talent too, with Tez Johnson and Troy Franklin now big options for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos, respectively. But there's one more major sell for Guerrant.

He earns the chance to catch passes from high-profile transfer and former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola once Dante Moore heads to the NFL. Or he can form chemistry with another five-star in 2027 quarterback commit Will Mencl.

This looks like a two-horse race between the Ducks and Wolverines for Guerrant, and a decision appears to be on the horizon as a number of high-profile prospects end their recruitment in the summer months.

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