Oregon Five-Star Recruit Enters Spotlight With New Ranking

Coach Dan Lanning is trending toward another top-five recruiting class with the Oregon Ducks in the 2027 cycle. Leading the Ducks’ current 24 commits are more incoming five-star recruits.

Cornerback Hayden Stepp is set to become the latest five-star addition to the secondary. While Stepp is considered the consensus No. 1 recruit in the state of Nevada and is ranked as high as the No. 13 overall recruit (ESPN), he’s now also listed among the top recruits currently in high school, regardless of class.

How Five-Star Cornerback Hayden Stepp Compares to Top Recruits

oregon ducks dan lanning recruiting hayden stepp cornerback five star brysen wright david gabriel georges demarcus van dyke — Oregon football coach Dan Lanning introduces the song “Shout” during the Ducks' game against Oregon State at Jane Sanders Stadium in Eugene April 22, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

ESPN reporter Billy Tucker ranked Stepp No. 23 among recruits, regardless of class. Landing a verbal commitment from Stepp to kick off July was a big recruiting victory for Lanning and Oregon given his 2027 ranking.

If he pans out to be one of the top players in college, regardless of class or position, that will only strengthen the Ducks’ track record of recruiting and developing players in the secondary under Lanning and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton.

Only two other cornerbacks are listed above Stepp in Tucker’s ranking, and both are the only two players at the position higher than Stepp in the 2027 class, according to ESPN: Texas commit John Meridth III and South Carolina commit Joshua Dobson.

Stepp chose Oregon over SEC giants the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs, as well as the California Golden Bears. The five-star previously played alongside incoming Oregon freshman Jett Washington at Bishop Gorman, who was a five-star recruit in his own right.

Not only could Oregon end up with one of the next great individual players in college football, but if the program is able to help Washington and Stepp live up to their potential, it could have a dangerous duo in the secondary for years to come.

Oregon Ducks Targets on Top-25 List

Stepp may be the only current Oregon commit on ESPN’s top-25 list, but the Ducks have already offered four others, according to 247Sports.

Ranked below Stepp is 2029 cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke Jr., who is uncommitted. Van Dyke is set to enter his sophomore year of high school in Auburn, but he’s already listed at 6-4. The young recruit has a daunting physical presence with room still to grow.

Van Dyke is additionally the son of former NFL cornerback and current Auburn Tigers cornerback coach DeMarcu Van Dyke. The Ducks might have an uphill battle to try and sway the recruit away from playing for his father, but if they can pull it off, they’d have a rising cornerback two years behind Stepp.

Oregon also offered the No. 2 recruit on ESPN’s list: 2028 wide receiver Brysen Wright. According to 247Sports, Wright tallied 983 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 46 receptions as a sophomore in 2025. Top recruiting powerhouses Texas and Ohio State are also in the mix, but Lanning’s proven to haul in commits from five-star receivers, with his two five-star commitments in 2027 being proof.

Running back in the 2027 class, David Gabriel Georges, received an offer from Oregon, although the Ducks are among his frontrunners. The final recruit in the top-25 offered by Oregon is 2029 quarterback Ty Snell, who’s also earned attention from Ohio State and Indiana.

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