Oregon Ducks Pushing to Land No. 2 Overall Recruit in the Nation

The Oregon Ducks made the final cut for this high-profile recruiting chase involving a towering edge rusher talent in the class of 2028.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field with his team for warmups as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

A certain season kicked off already for the Oregon Ducks before their Sept. 5. contest against Boise State.

High school football season, which also involves coach Dan Lanning and company for recruiting purposes. This is the time of year Lanning and fellow staff members can check in on their Ducks commits or seek out Oregon recruiting targets.

Now, one prominent recruit has finalized his short list of school options with Oregon making his cut.

No. 2 Overall Recruit High on Oregon Ducks

CAL’s Kellan Hall tackles Bell County’s Kaleb Miller in the KHSAA 3A semi final game. November 28, 2025 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon is winning over the nation's top defender per Rivals' Industry Rankings plus the nation's No. 2 overall recruit: five-star edge rusher Kellan Hall out of Christian Academy of Louisville, Kentucky, in the class of 2028.

The big and imposing 6-5, 275-pounder announced a top 12 from his plethora of scholarship offers on Aug. 21 to Rivals' Hayes Fawcett, and Oregon is the only West Coast representative that Hall is considering.

Hall previously visited Oregon back on June 22 and raved about the trip with Greg Smith of On3.

"The visit was amazing. The coaching details during the camp was impressive,” Hall said to Smith. “Had an opportunity to experience the day and the life of the player. Really great atmosphere and love how they develop “'bigs' on both sides of the ball." 

Oregon certainly presents is deep share of advantages that can persuade the highly-ranked talent to come over.

How Oregon Presents Strong fit for Kellan Hall

Georgia Bulldogs Bear Alexander usc trojans transfer portal oregon ducks dan lanning big ten nfl draft scouts practice sacks lincoln riley | oregon ducks on si jacob bunn

Oregon loves its defensive linemen big, powerful and athletic. That hasn't changed in the Lanning era.

Already, the Ducks have stockpiled on towering talents ready to wreck havoc along the trenches. Five-star and 6-4 edge rush defender Rashad Streets represents the most highly-rated recruit on the defensive side for the Ducks' 2027 class. He hands Lanning and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton a 'Wide 9' option who can attack from a wide angle and collapse pockets.

Three-star Josh Christensen adds a relentless motor on the right side of the defensive line. He enters each game with a 6-6, 250-pound frame. Fellow three-star Achilles Reyna is even taller at 6-8, 250-pounds and presents his own mix of quick feet and line tenacity.

But Oregon has long delivered success with tall defenders. It dates back to DeForest Buckner and Arik Armstead before both went on the play in the Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. So there's a lineage of unleashing defenders as tall and powerful as Hall. Ultimately, the Ducks coaches have found a way to sharpen their hand technique and make them more knowledgeable facing blocking schemes.

What Landing Kellan Hall Would Mean for Oregon

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5), wide receiver Malik Benson (4), defensive back Brandon Finney (4) and defensive lineman Bear Alexander (1) celebrate following the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Landing Hall would become a mammoth start for the 2028 class as Oregon currently holds no verbal commitment for the next recruiting cycle.

The Ducks would add a brand new speed-to-power element through Hall too, as the defender is among the best in the nation at combining both to beat the blocks. Oregon doesn't just look for tall and long defenders, but ones who know when to use their strength and footspeed to their advantage.

Finally, Oregon would gain a valuable future inside pass rushing presence. Hall looks like someone who can slide inside and stress out guards and centers when pass blocking. He's simply a prospect who can get plugged in multiple areas to wreck havoc.

But it's just a matter of winning over Hall among his deep list of other final suitors. He's listed seven SEC schools in his final list including an in-state opportunity from Kentucky while also considering Georgia. Ohio State and Michigan rise as Oregon's primary Big Ten competition to land Hall.

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