Texas Longhorns Deliver Oregon's Second Recruiting Loss on Same Day

The Oregon Ducks lost out on landing one other target who would've boosted the defensive backfield.

Nov 4, 2023; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out to the field with players before a game against the California Golden Bears at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks absorbed not one, but two different recruiting losses on the same day.

June 26 started with learning the fate of four-star target Bode Sparrow, who was a longtime Oregon lean. Sparrow committed to Oklahoma. Now the Ducks and coach Dan Lanning took one other recruitment loss on the same day.

Oregon Loses Out on Four-Star Safety

Jan 1, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders wide receiver Coy Eakin (3) is tackled by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the first half of the 2025 Orange Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Four-star from Alabaster, Alabama, Junior Tu'upo placed the Ducks in his final five, plus had an Oregon hat on his table with his family before announcing his decision via a livestream from Rivals.

Except Tu'upo put on a Texas hat, signifying his commitment to the Longhorns.

The long 6-3 safety was another who once trended to Oregon. He's even high school teammates with edge rusher commit Cameron Pritchett. That aspect left some fans and analysts believing the Ducks had the advantage.

However Texas gained steam in recent weeks thanks to Tu'upo's official visit to Austin.

How Texas Claimed the Advantage Over Oregon

oregon ducks evan stewart name image likeness nil deal jeremiah smith ohio state buckeyes cam coleman texas longhorns | Oregon Ducks on SI Jake Bunn

Tu'upo previously told 247Sports that it was more than the relationships he built with coaches that sold him on Texas.

He saw how the Longhorns' secondary coach Blake Gideon interacted with his players during a spring practice he visited. The 2027 safety instantly loved the connection the coach made with his players and felt a strong sense of positivity there.

Tu'upo did take the flight to Eugene earlier in June. That Oregon trip helped launch his college visitation tour. But once again, Texas is declared the winner here on the recruiting trail. Plus, it added a second big recruiting loss for the Ducks on the same day.

Yet Oregon can still make up for the loss ground once July arrives.

Who Could be Lined Up for Oregon Next

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning warms players up 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

So Oregon strikes out on landing two elite safeties in Sparrow and Tu'upo. But there's one more huge recruiting hit they could deliver once the calendar flips to July.

Five-star cornerback Hayden Stepp remains available on the open recruiting market. The state of Nevada's top-ranked prospect for the 2027 class indeed has Oregon on his short list.

Stepp has familiarity with one key member of the Oregon defensive roster: Jett Washington, who starred at Stepp's Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas and played alongside the talented cornerback. Stepp is a stout disruptor in the passing game who erases tight windows with his arm length and instincts. He also excels as an aggressive press-man cornerback, which likely won over Lanning and the defensive staff when they recruited Stepp.

Oregon already is thriving with another tall cornerback in Brandon Finney Jr., who exploded as an impactful freshman in 2025. Stepp could see that and became motivated by the fact that Oregon plays its most talented cornerback newcomers. The big corner also likely can feel energized by the current success of Deommodore Lenoir in the NFL, who starred as a versatile defensive back in Eugene before Lanning's arrival.

Assistant defensive backs coach Rashad Wadood is running point on Stepp's recruitment. But Oregon still must beat out some heavyweights in Georgia, Alabama, plus a rising third in Cal, the latter now led by former Ducks defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi.

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