Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans Pushing For 5-Star Recruit Brandon Arrington

Currently sitting at No. 8 nationally in 247Sports' rankings for the recruiting class of 2026, the Oregon Ducks are battling it out to land the top athletes in the nation. As of Friday, the Ducks have eight commitments, with two five-stars and three four-stars. However, it looks like the USC Trojans might be getting an upper hand on another five-star recruit.

California cornerback recruit Brandon Arrington is currently building a tighter relationship with the Trojans, according to On3 Sports' recruiting expert Chad Simmons.

According to Simmons, USC coach Lincoln Riley and crew have made an extra effort to keep California talent in the state, therefore heavily pursuing Arrington. Arrington had an unofficial visit with the Trojans on March 25, his first since getting an offer on May 21, 2024.

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley holds the championship trophy after the game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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“Yeah, we want to get California kids,” Riley said when discussing recruitment in 2023. “We want to get local kids. We want them to be the right kids, the right kind of kids, right kind of students, right kind of players that fit within what we’re building. Not ones that go against the grain of what we’re building.”

“I feel good about USC,” Arrington said to On3 Sports about his most recent visit. “I feel like they’re going in the right direction and it’s going to be something special these next few years.”

All love at SC ❤️💛✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/W9unGBVkbC
— Brandon “Dash”Arrington jr 5 🌟 (@brandonjubie2) March 27, 2025

Arrington has another visit scheduled with the Trojans for June 17. Before then, Arrington will visit Penn State (May 2), Texas A&M (June 5), and Oregon (June 13). Arrington has already made a visit to Eugene, visiting the facilities for Junior Day in January of this year. He's also gone to Georgia and Alabama for unofficial visits.

According to Simmons, Texas A&M is also a factor the Ducks should watch out for when it comes to Arrington's recruitment. The Aggies were "setting the pace" for Arrington's recruitment during the season, with the athlete visiting College Station for his first unofficial visit at the start of the 2024 season on August 31.

However, the Ducks aren't out for Arrington, as he's applauded Oregon coach Dan Lanning many times in the past, as well as stating that to him, Oregon has "stuff that many people don't have."

Legendary part 2 pic.twitter.com/raf0Wz7Yss
— Brandon “Dash”Arrington jr 5 🌟 (@brandonjubie2) March 30, 2025

During his busy schedule of football visits, Arrington is also showing his versatility on the track, with Arrington achieving the San Diego Section record and the No. 2 all-time state record for a 20.37 time in the 200-meter race.

With his intense speed, athletic frame to add weight, and improvement on zeroing in on passes and the transition to run, Arrington could add some essential talent to a cornerback room with several veteran athletes that have departed from the Ducks as of late.

"Can run more than just go routes and has improved as a route runner and in his ability to set up an opposing corner," 247 Sports National Recruiting Analyst Greg Biggins said of Arrington. "The speed definitely shows up on the football field and he’s explosive enough to out-run the angle and get behind a defense. Shows toughness going over the middle and doesn’t shy away from contact. Has upside as a long cover corner as well but upside is probably highest as a receiver and his ceiling is as high as any skill player in the Region."