Oregon Recruiting Win Grows With Elite 11 Finals Invite For Quarterback Commit

Oregon’s quarterback recruiting just received national validation.

Oregon Ducks Will Mencl Five-Star Recruit elite ll finals los angeles class rankings nfl quarterback draft dante moore dan lanning | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks don't need national validation of their quarterbacks... but they just got it.

The Ducks landed 5-star quarterback Will Mencl, who is the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the recruiting class of 2027 in a massive move that creates ripple effects for the next commits. Then, another win via an excusive invite.

Chandler quarterback Will Mencl (7) talks to the media during the Chandler Unified School District football Media Day in Chandler, on July 29, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mencl received an invite to the Elite 11 Finals, which is one of the highest honors for a high school quarterback. There are only 20 quarterbacks invited for three days of competition and training in Los Angeles at the end of May, and Mencl will be one of them.

Why Will Mencl's Elite 11 Finals Invite Matters

Of course, fans tune into his highlights and want to know: is Mencl legit? The third-party recognition of Mencl carries weight.

The Ducks are no stranger to having commits involved at the event. In 2025, 5-star quarterback Bryson Beaver competed in the Elite 11 Finals but ultimately transferred to the Georgia Bulldogs before suiting up in Eugene after starting quarterback Dante Moore elected to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft.

The hope is that Mencl's path is different than Beaver's.

The underrated part about the invite goes beyond Mencl getting to go head-to-head with the best talent in the nation - although that is important as it gives real data points going up against his peers.

Chandler Wolves quarterback Will Mencl sits with his teammates during the high school football Championships Media Day at the Arizona Interscholastic Association office in Phoenix on Dec. 1, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The deeper story here is: under Ducks coach Dan Lanning, Oregon keeps stacking high-end quarterback talent. Oregon's potential future starting quarterback is competing with the best in the country, which reinforces the program’s reputation as a destination for elite signal-callers.

Current Oregon starter Dante Moore is projected as a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Former Oregon quarterbacks continue to reinforce that pipeline: Dillon Gabriel was selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Bo Nix went in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft to the Denver Broncos, Justin Herbert was a first-round pick in 2020 by the Los Angeles Chargers, and Marcus Mariota was taken No. 2 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, left, hugs Los Angeles Chargers quarterback and former Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert during the Oregon football’s Pro Day Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Elite 11 track record is also loaded and star-studded. Alumni include quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, and C.J. Stroud. Being in that group instantly raises expectations and visibility.

That visibility comes at an important time for the Ducks who look to add to their No. 6 ranked class in the 2027 cycle.

If Mencl plays the way he did at at OT7 Week 7 in Dallas, he will certainly garner attention. Mencl's talent was on full display at the OT7 7-on-7 spring football league, where he threw for six touchdown passes.

Oregon’s 2027 Recruiting Class

The Ducks currently have 11 commits in their 2027 recruiting class, with Mencl being the most recent to announce his decision. With his commitment, Oregon jumped up to No. 6 on Rivals recruiting class rankings and No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field before the game during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Mencl is the first quarterback and five-star rectuit in the class to commit to Oregon. Mencl is 6-3 and 205 pounds out of Chandler, Arizona. Mencl is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No.1 quarterback in the class of 2027 per Rivals.

As a junior for Chandler High School in 2025-26, Mencl threw for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for 741 yards and 17 touchdowns on the ground.

Oregon's 10 other commits are:

4-star EDGE Rashad Streets
4-star Cornerback Ai'King Hall
4-star Safety Semaj Stanford
4-star Defensive lineman Zane Rowe
4-star Running back CaDarius McMiller
4-star Cornerback Josiah Molden
4-star Defensive lineman Cam Pritchett
4-star Linebacker Brandon Lockley Jr.
3-star Offensive tackle Avery Michael

After an exciting spring game in Eugene that also serves as a recruiting showcase, Oregon Ducks on SI will be keeping an eye on the next prospects who could be taking their talents to Eugene.

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