Oregon Watches Quarterback Recruiting Target Commit to USC Trojans

The Oregon Ducks landed in a great position to land one of the nation's fastest rising quarterbacks but here's how the USC Trojans won the race for quarterback recruit Trey Wright.

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The Oregon Ducks came close to adding verbal commit No. 1 for the 2028 recruiting class.

Three-star quarterback from Frisco, Texas Trey Wright landed on the short list for the Ducks before his Aug. 15 commitment announcement. Wright, who led the nation with 5,862 passing yards, instead chooses Oregon's Big Ten rival USC.

How Oregon Lost out to USC here

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning greet each other after the game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Signs pointed to USC ultimately winning out even before Wright's decision.

USC insider for On3 Scott Schrader dropped some pre-commitment intel pointing the arrow up for the Trojans.

"The Trojans aren’t interested in collecting quarterback offers. They identify the player they want, evaluate him extensively and then make a major push. That’s what happened with Wright," Schrader wrote, who adds that Wright impressed USC coach Lincoln Riley and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Luke Huard during a summer 2026 workout.

Riley owns an impressive resume with molding Texas quarterbacks. Baker Mayfield rose from past walk-on to Heisman Trophy winner while playing for the coach at Oklahoma. Jalen Hurts also boosted his own NFL stock in playing for Riley for one season at OU in 2019. Kyler Murray represents another Texas talent who won a Heisman under Riley's tutelage in Norman.

But Wright becomes the first high-profile Texas quarterback to choose Riley during his USC run.

Oregon Ducks Have Other Intriguing Options to Pursue

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This is the second notable 2028 recruiting loss for the Ducks. Especially amid what's become a stellar summer in landing multiple blue chip recruits via the 2027 recruiting class.

Wright isn't the first high-profile quarterback to spurn the Ducks for another Big Ten rival. Five-star signal-caller Christopher Vargas snubbed Oregon for another conference foe in Ohio State earlier in August.

But the Ducks are presented multiple other intriguing options to spark their 2028 recruiting movement. Especially eyeing a quarterback who's in closer proximity compared to Wright.

Four-star quarterback from Vista del Lago High in Moreno Valley, California Josiah Boyd remains a highly coveted quarterback target for coach Dan Lanning, offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and quarterback coach Koa Ka'ai and the Ducks. Boyd is one trending upward for Oregon as of Aug. 11 per multiple recruiting outlets.

Boyd's potential commitment to Oregon would rise as the latest significant West Coast recruiting coup for the Ducks. Plus it would continue Oregon's strong Inland Empire of California pipeline by adding the latest high-profile dual-threat star from a place that produced C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders. Except Boyd isn't the only quarterback to closely monitor here in this scenario.

There's one more Texas quarterback to monitor even after Wright's decision: Four-star Tristin Gaines out of Waller High. The 6-1 Gaines himself even told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals on Aug. 13 that Oregon leads in his recruitment while adding the Ducks are recruiting him the hardest. This indicates Oregon has its ace in the hole out in Texas anyway post Wright.

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