Oregon Continues Recruiting Push for Five-Star Cornerback Hayden Stepp

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon Ducks raised their recruiting class ranking with two five-star recruits in the month of June. While edge rusher commit Rashad Streets rose to five-star status, coach Dan Lanning landed a commitment from five-star receiver Dakota Guerrant on June 16.

And the Ducks might not be done adding five-star recruits to their 2027 cycle. Cornerback Hayden Stepp took his official visit to Eugene the weekend of June 12 and could be Oregon’s next five-star target.

Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks Impress During Official Visit

oregon ducks recruiting hayden stepp dan lanning cornerback christian gonzalez chris hampton brandon finney five star nfl — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning during practice with the Oregon Ducks Wednesday Aug. 21, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Stepp is listed as a five-star recruit by ESPN and a top-100 recruit by ESPN, 247Sports and the Rivals Industry Ranking. The cornerback is the consensus top player in Nevada, where he competes for Bishop Gorman – the same high school as incoming five-star defensive back Jett Washington competed for.

The Ducks have been in a recruiting battle with SEC programs, the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs, as well as with former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi at Cal, for Stepp’s commitment. Stepp named the four programs as his finalists to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett back in April.

Even though the Ducks haven’t been considered the favorites to land Stepp, the official visit seemingly pushed the program in a positive direction in his recruitment.

In a recent interview with Rivals’ Greg Biggins, Stepp cited development and his conversations with the coaching staff about the opportunity to play right away.

“They said their goal would be to get me up to speed as quickly as possible so I can contribute and be a productive teammate,” Stepp said to Biggins. “They also talked about how practicing against some of the top talent in the country every day would help accelerate my development and take my game to another level.”

Oregon Ducks’ Defensive Back Development

Lanning can point to just last season when it comes to telling defensive back recruits about the opportunity to play as true freshmen. The Ducks saw four true freshmen break out into prominent roles in 2025. The lone true freshman on defense to earn a starting role was cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.

Finney totaled 42 tackles, seven pass deflections, two forced fumbles, a sack and three interceptions in 2025. His first career interception came in the form of a pick-six at Autzen Stadium in a top-10 matchup against the Indiana Hoosiers, the eventual National Champions. The other two came in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Finney is an example of a true freshman who wasn’t only provided with an opportunity to play early in his collegiate career, but also a player who was made ready to show up in big moments.

In the Lanning coaching era at Oregon, the Ducks have already produced NFL defensive back talent, including New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was a first-round draft pick and comes off his first Super Bowl appearance. With former defensive backs coach Chris Hampton being promoted to Oregon’s defensive coordinator, the ability to continue churning out professional defensive backs will likely continue in Eugene.

The Ducks signed five five-star recruits in the 2026 cycle. According to 247Sports, Oregon was Stepp’s second visit among his four finalists. With Stepp’s announcement looming, Oregon is expected to continue making moves in his recruitment to inch closer toward its five-star total from the previous cycle.

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