Oregon Battling USC, Ohio State for Rising Running Back Recruit

Coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks continue to host top recruits for official visits in June. As the 2027 recruiting cycle picks up, the Ducks are also sparking connections with players in future recruiting classes.

Running back Makai Buchanan from the class of 2029 was among the recent recruits to take an unofficial visit to Eugene.

Running Back Makai Buchanan’s Recruitment

oregon ducks recruiting dan lanning rashaad samples makai buchanan running back usc trojans carlos locklyn ohio state buckeye — New Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples talks with running back Jordan James during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Buchanan posted a picture to social media alongside Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples during his visit with the Ducks. The running back competes for Victory Valley in Victorville, California, where he’s heading into his sophomore year.

SCO 🦆 ! @RashaadSamples @CoachTroop3 @GregBiggins @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @BlairAngulo @BrandonHuffman @Pcoachdub1 @coachtriley pic.twitter.com/sAH3imVTvI
— Makai Buchanan (@MakaiBuchanan24) June 20, 2026

Even prior to earning his recruiting ranking given his underclass status, Buchanan has already received 31 Division I offers, according to 247Sports. The Ducks were one of his first Power Four offers, extending an offer back on June 1, 2025, per 247Sports.

Buchanan revealed in an interview with Rivals’ Adam Gorney that the USC Trojans, Georgia Bulldogs and Ohio State Buckeyes were his early top-three. Oregon’s West Coast rival USC is pushing for Buchanan as the in-state program, while Buchanan posted on X in March 2025 that former Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn offered him an opportunity with the Buckeyes.

The rising sophomore recruit’s visit to Eugene comes after he named Ohio State, USC and Georgia as standout programs in his recruitment. With Oregon also being a West Coast Big Ten program, there’s potential for more recruiting visits in store as Buchanan’s recruitment picks up.

Oregon Ducks’ Running Back Recruits

The Ducks’ 2027 recruiting class currently features one running back commit. Four-star recruit CaDarius McMiller committed to Oregon back in February and is considered a top-25 recruit in Texas, per Rivals.

Lanning and Samples have also recruited blue-chip running backs Keldrid Ben and JP Jones-Priest, who are now committed elsewhere, and four-star Landen Williams-Callis.

Early in the 2028 recruiting cycle, the Ducks have already offered running backs Jayshawn Mitchell and Major Lee, according to the recruits’ posts on social media.

Ra'Shaad Samples' Recent Recruiting History

Samples began as the Ducks’ running backs coach back in 2024, but has quickly shown his skills as a recruiter. Samples, also Oregon’s assistant head coach, has helped the Ducks recruit both running backs and wide receivers.

The top recruit he’s assisted in recruiting since joining Lanning’s staff was five-star receiver Dakorien Moore in the 2025 cycle. Moore comes off an impressive true freshman season with the Ducks – and he wasn’t the only player that Samples helped recruit in that cycle who made a big impact in 2025.

Oregon is set to return running back Dierre Hill Jr., who finished his true freshman season with six total touchdowns and 655 rushing yards. Hill was part of a 2025 recruiting class for Oregon that included running back Jordon Davison, another big recruiting win in the backfield in recent Ducks history. Davison totaled 15 rushing touchdowns as a true freshman.

Four-star running back Tradarian Ball is Samples’ incoming recruit that’s set to join the fold in the 2026 season. Ball arrived in Eugene as an early enrollee prior to the Spring Game and could earn impactful snaps as a true freshman. Samples’ most recent recruiting win was McMiller, while he’s pushing to add more to the 2027 cycle and beyond.

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