Oregon Ducks Trending With Kentucky for Four-Star Quarterback Recruit

The Oregon Ducks have locked into a two-team race for Dante Moore's potential successor at quarterback.

The Ducks are emerging out in front for four-star quarterback Josiah Boyd out of Vista del Lago in Moreno Valley, California. Boyd already ranks as the state of California's No. 3 overall prospect per Rivals and has drawn a bevy of interest from Big Ten and SEC powers.

Yet the second team pursuing Boyd comes with a familiar face to Oregon and coach Dan Lanning.

Who Else is Rising as Favorite for Josiah Boyd

Oregon Ducks College Football Dan Lanning Peach Bowl Indiana Hoosiers Semifinal Dante Moore Fernando Mendoza national championship odd | oregon ducks on si jake bunn

Kentucky out of the SEC is trending up too, per Chad Simmons of Rivals on July 24.

But this is no ordinary challenger from the rival conference of the Big Ten. The Wildcats are now led by former Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein.

"I’d say my main two right now are Oregon and Kentucky. They’re pushing hard right now, and I like both a lot," Boyd told Simmons.

The 6-4 quarterback acknowledged that Kentucky's system mirrors what Oregon does with Stein taking over as head coach. Stein clearly wants to turn Lexington into a quarterback factory, even in the shadow of the heralded SEC powers with its own history of pumping out signal-callers.

Advantage Kentucky Presents Over Oregon

Kentucky Wildcats Will Stein Josiah Boyd Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning College Football Recruiting Big Ten SEC — Jul 20, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Will Stein speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This doesn't involve the SEC competition aspect either.

Stein hired Joe Sloan to run his first Kentucky offense in a splash assistant hire during the 2026 offseason. Sloan got dismissed as LSU offensive coordinator once the school hired Lane Kiffin to be head coach.

But he oversaw the develop of Garrett Nussmeier behind center during his LSU run. Yet Nussmeier wasn't even his most prized pupil in Baton Rouge.

Jayden Daniels exploded into the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner with Sloan as the quarterbacks coach. He eventually became the franchise quarterback for the Washington Commanders. Boyd shares an Inland Empire connection with the LSU legend, as Daniels grew up in nearby San Bernardino, California.

Boyd likely is observing closely at how Stein and Sloan sharpens quarterbacks outside of potentially playing in arguably the most popular conference in America. But Oregon presents its reason why it can create the upperhand for Boyd.

How Oregon can win Over Josiah Boyd

Josiah Boyd Vista del Lago High School Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Dante Moore Kentucky Wildcats College Football Recruiting — Vista del Lago's Josiah Dupree Boyd outruns a dive by La Quinta's Sebastian Osorio on a quarterback keeper during the fourth quarter of their game in La Quinta, Calif., Friday, Sept. 27, 2024. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Stein and Sloan present strong development backgrounds at quarterback play, time will tell if both can work their immediate magic in the Bluegrass State.

Oregon, meanwhile, created continuity on offense this offseason by elevating Drew Mehringer as offensive coordinator. But that's not the biggest sell involving the Ducks.

Boyd would walk into an offense featuring a plethora of dynamic weapons already at his disposal. Class of 2026 five-star wide receiver signing Jalen Lott will be in his third college season if Boyd throws to him. Fellow five-star wideouts for 2027 Xavier Sabb and Dakota Guerrant will be awaiting him in Eugene too after both sign their National Letters of Intent come Dec. 2026.

Boyd becomes set in stone weapons wise if he ultimately chooses Eugene as the next college home. Plus land with a team already built to contend for both the Big Ten and national title. Whereas Kentucky is currently facing a "jury's out" scenario with Stein yet to coach his first game with the Wildcats.

The 2028 quarterback likely will see a lot of twists and turns with his recruitment. Oregon is going to have to play the marathon game with Boyd's recruitment with no true timetable set on his commitment decision. But Lanning and his staff also will need to out-recruit a past beloved assistant now to win over the electric dual-threat passer.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google