Oregon Ducks Recruiting Targets Turn Heads at The Opening Finals

BEAVERTON, Ore. — While Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning and a few players are in Tokyo, Japan, for the Tokyo Oregon Football Showcase presented by Flight Club, 120 of the nation's top recruits were in the Pacific Northwest for The Opening Finals, hosted by Nike at Philip H. Knight Campus.

Four-star defensive back Hayden Stepp (Team West) and four-star linebacker Brayton Feister (Team Midwest) were named to the all-tournament team for their performance throughout The Opening, starting with the regional tournaments through the final 7-on-7 competition in Beaverton from June 24-26.

oregon ducks recruiting brayton feister hayden stepp dan lanning big ten the opening finals nike headquarters beaverton — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field as the Oregon Ducks practice on Jan. 5, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, ahead of the Peach Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

First look at Oregon recruiting target four-star Hayden Stepp at The Opening Finals.#GoDucks @OregonDucks_SI https://t.co/hps3nHCfM2 pic.twitter.com/m9qPEnFreT
— Charlie Viehl (@CharlieViehl) June 25, 2026

Stepp is the No. 61 overall recruit and the No. 6 cornerback in the class of 2027, per 247Sports, and Feister is the No. 155 overall recruit and the No. 9 athlete in the same rankings.

Both Stepp and Feister recorded an interception during the tournament, and both defenders came up with timely stops to move their respective teams onto the next round. Stepp and Team West won the championship, defeating Team Southwest, which featured Oregon defensive line commit Zane Rowe at tight end, in a rematch on Friday.

Rowe flashed his athleticism while playing on the other side of the ball, and his size was certainly a weapon and helped him get open, especially in the red zone, for his team.

Hayden Stepp, Brayton Feister Future Teammates?

Both Stepp and Feister are not yet committed but are scheduled to announce their commitments soon, and both have been trending towards the Ducks after recent official visits. Per Rivals, Stepp is set to reveal his decision on July 1 as he chooses between Oregon, Alabama, and Cal. Meanwhile, Feister will announce his commitment on July 11, deciding from a final group of Oregon, Cal, Ohio State, and Georgia, per 247Sports.

While at The Opening, Feister was wearing bright yellow Oregon gloves throughout his games on Friday as Team Midwest reached the semifinals. It's far from implying that Feister is guaranteed to commit to the Ducks, but Lanning and the Oregon staff did receive the final official visit from Feister and his family before his decision which is always a good sign.

For Stepp, the talented defensive back did not bring out any defensive gear, but he was being recruited by Oregon freshman and Stepp's former teammate at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jett Washington.

Washington drove up from Eugene to Beaverton to watch some of Thursday's events and visit the Nike campus. As a former five-star safety out of Bishop Gorman, can Washington's recruiting pitch seal the deal for the Ducks?

Oregon Ducks' 2027 Recruiting Class

Oregon's recruiting class is currently ranked No. 1 in the Big Ten by 247 and No. 2 in the conference by On3, but the potential addition of Stepp and Feister likely catapults the Ducks into the consensus No. 1 spot. However, there is still time between summer commitments and the early signing period, and things can change on a dime in recruiting.

Dakota Guerrant, five-star wide receiver
Rashad Streets, five-star EDGE
Toa Satele, four-star linebacker
Will Mencl, four-star quarterback
Semaj Stanford, four-star safety
Zane Rowe, four-star defensive lineman
CaDarius McMiller, four-star runningback
Cameron Pritchett, four-star EDGE
Josiah Molden, four-star cornerback
Gus Corsair, four-star offensive lineman
Brandon Lockley, four-star linebacker
Cameron Wagner, four-star offensive lineman
Malakai Taufoou, four-star safety
Avery Michael, four-star offensive lineman
Sam Ngata, three-star linebacker
Achilles Reyna, three-star defensive lineman
Josh Christensen, three-star EDGE
Lex Mailangi, three-star offensive lineman
George VanSandt, three-star tight end
Malachi Garlington, three-star wide receiver

The Ducks currently sit at 20 commitments and stand to gain more with decisions from Stepp, Feister, and other recruits announcing decisions too.

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