Penn State Negatively Recruiting Oregon Ducks For 5-Star Immanuel Iheanacho?

Five-star offensive line recruit Immanuel Iheanacho is a highly-coveted prospect, and it appears as though the Penn State Nittany Lions coaching staff is using distance as part of their recruiting pitch to land Iheanacho over the Oregon Ducks.

Iheanacho visited Penn State over the weekend, and he revealed some of the Nittany Lions' recruiting message in an interview with On3's Chad Simmons.

“They told me that I don’t have to fly seven hours away to Oregon to do what I want to do, but I can do it all at Penn State where my parents can see each game. We talked about how I can get good education at Penn State, how they have great alumni and how I can play early," Iheanacho told On3.

Apr 26, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin prior to the Blue White spring game at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The five-star recruit calls Baltimore, Maryland, his home, giving Penn State a clear advantage when it comes to proximity to Iheanacho's family and friends. Will it be enough for Iheanacho to commit to Penn State coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions?

“The coaches made sure I knew that going far away is not the only option for me," Iheanacho told On3 about Penn State. "They really showed me their plan for me, how I can play early there and all of that was big for me."

The consensus five-star recruit is scheduled to make his commitment on Aug. 5.

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Oregon has reportedly led Iheanacho's recruitment during the spring, and he is scheduled to visit Ducks coach Dan Lanning and the rest of Oregon's coaching staff in Eugene over the weekend of June 20. Lanning and the Ducks are the final visit that Iheanacho has scheduled, giving Oregon the chance to leave a lasting impression on the top prospect.

Back in April, Iheanacho revealed to 247Sports that the Ducks were the leaders in his recruitment. The elite offensive line recruit also talked about ending his recruitment in June, but those plans have since changed:

"Oregon now is back to being my No. 1, and LSU is No. 2. I initially intended on committing in August. I think I can probably see myself committing in the next month, month-and-a-half. I want to take a couple of official visits before I do that. I have an opportunity to commit really early, and I am weighing my options," Iheanacho told 247Sports.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets Fighting Ducks running back Jayden Limar before the spring gam — Oregon coach Dan Lanning greets Fighting Ducks running back Jayden Limar before the game as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning and the Ducks were finalists for five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell before he committed to Miami, and Oregon also held a commitment from five-star offensive tackle recruit Kodi Greene before he flipped to the Washington Huskies. As a result, Iheanacho became a top priority for the Ducks.

With Iheanacho deciding between Penn State, Oregon, Auburn, and LSU, the Nittany Lions definitely have a distance advantage. However, the five-star recruit has called Oregon his leader throughout his recruitment, despite the distance, and the Ducks have another opportunity to host Iheanacho before he commits in August.