Oregon Ducks Battling Washington Huskies for In-State Four-Star Recruit

The Oregon Ducks are still building up their 2027 recruiting class, and one recruit who would create a lot of excitement within the Ducks fanbase with a commitment is in-state cornerback prospect Josiah Molden.

Molden is a four-star recruit who ranks No. 1 among recruits in Oregon and attends West Linn High School. Ducks coach Dan Lanning is battling the Washington Huskies for Molden’s commitment, and the two longtime rivals lead the way in his recruitment.

Oregon Contending With Washington for Pacific Northwest Recruit

oregon ducks dan lanning recruiting josiah molden cornerback tosh lupoi washington huskies west linn nfl ohio state big ten — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game as the Oregon Ducks take on the Washington Huskies on Nov. 29, 2025, at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks naturally seem like one of the frontrunners to land Molden. Not only does he play high school football just up I-5, but he’s a legacy recruit.

Molden’s father, Alex Molden, played cornerback for Oregon from 1991 to 1995. He ended up getting selected by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 11 pick in the first round of the 1996 NFL Draft. Alex Molden played at the professional level through the 2003 season. During his Ducks career, he made two All-Pac-10 first teams and reached the 1995 Rose Bowl. Alex Molden was inducted into the 2008 Oregon Hall of Fall.

But Molden’s older brother, Elijah Molden, competed for the Huskies until 2020 before going to the NFL and suiting up for the Tennessee Titans. If the younger Molden is anything like his father and brother, the Molden family has another future all-conference and NFL player. The Ducks hope that they secure his recruitment, and they have an April visit set with the four-star.

Former Ducks Coordinator in the Mix for Josiah Molden

The Ducks were the first Power Four program to offer Molden back in May 2023. The Huskies followed by extending an offer in June 2023. He’s received offers from programs in the Big Ten, ACC and SEC since.

Molden further showed his prowess as a recruit when he finished his junior season in 2025 with 35 tackles, 12 pass break ups and seven touchdowns, all while missing a pair of games.

Among the programs fighting for Molden’s commitment is the California Golden Bears. Former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is competing with the Ducks for a handful of mutual recruits, with Molden being one of them. He was the team’s defensive coordinator in 2023 when they offered the cornerback.

Molden told Rivals’ Brandon Huffman that he’s set to visit Cal in April as well. The Ohio State Buckeyes are another Big Ten program in the running for Molden’s commitment, and he said he’s working on a visit with them.

The four-star narrowed down his list of finalists to six in January. It included Oregon, Washington and Ohio State, with the Miami Hurricanes, USC Trojans and Texas Longhorns also in the mix. The Golden Bears were not on his list of finalists.

Washington staff and Cal staff have met with Molden since the end of January for at home visits, according to his social media posts. He did post that he “had a great time in Eugene” on Jan. 24. Molden recently visited Washington again for Junior Day, so they Ducks will hope to make a big impression on Molden during his next visit with the Huskies picking up momentum.