4-Star Quarterback Recruit Matt Ponatoski On 'Cool' Oregon Ducks: Baseball Dual Athlete

After 5-star quarterback recruit Jared Curtis committed to the Georgia Bulldogs, the Oregon Ducks have to look elsewhere in the 2026 recruiting class. Coach Dan Lanning has offered four-star recruit Matt Ponatoski, who also will play baseball in college.

Matt Ponatoski was at Ohio Stadium to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines in an NCAA football game on Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks' football program recently offered the dual-athlete recruit Matt Ponatoski, who hails from Cincinnati, Ohio. The four-star quarterback also is planning to play either shortstop or as a right-handed pitcher at the collegiate level.

“Oregon was a very cool offer... They also have had a bunch of great quarterbacks as of recent and I will have an opportunity to play both sports there.”

- 2026 recruit Matt Ponatoski via On3

Matt Ponatoski eyes a touchdown pass for Moeller during the OHSAA Division I football regional semifinals Nov. 15, 2024, at Dwire Field in Mason, Ohio. / Geoff Blankenship for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On the football side of his recruitment, Ponatoski is looking into setting up official visits to Eugene as well as with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem and Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Ponatoski has already visited the in-state Ohio State Buckeyes and coach Ryan Day multiple times, most recently at the end of March. Former Buckeyes offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Kelly, who is now coaching for the Las Vegas Raiders, visited Ponatoski during the fall.

Matt Ponatoski was at Ohio Stadium to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines in an NCAA football game on Saturday Nov. 30, 2024. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As for baseball, he has taken official visits to the Kentucky Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, Arkansas Razorbacks, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Through 15 games with Archbishop Moeller in his junior campaign, the 6-2 and 190-pound gunslinger threw for 4,085 passing yards and 56 touchdowns to just three interceptions on the gridiron.

According to On3, The Ohio Gatorade Football Player of the Year ranks Ponatoski as the No. 101 recruit overall but even more importantly, the No. 9 quarterback in the country.

“Matt is a great player and drives their offense. He can make all the throws and is the difference-maker for their team. They are not the same team without him.”

- Coach Pat McLaughlin via Gatorade

As for on the diamond, Ponatoski has a career batting average of .414 with five home runs, 56 runs batted in, 35 walks, and 21 stolen bases. According to Prep Baseball, he's ranked No. 1 in the state of Ohio and the No. 11 recruit overall.

He excels in the classroom as well with a 4.21 weighted GPA, is a tour guide at his high school, volunteers with children who have special needs, and is both a youth baseball coach and a football referee.

Moeller's Matt Ponatoski (29) reacts after a home run during their baseball game against Mason Saturday, April 20, 2024. Moeller won 7-5 in extra innings. / Tony Tribble for The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

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With the Miami Hurricanes' addition of five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, coach Mario Cristobal's group has moved up to No. 8 in On3's 2026 recruiting class rankings. Oregon is No. 5, Notre Dame Fighting Irish are No. 4, Ohio State Buckeyes are No. 3, LSU Tigers are No. 2, and USC Trojans holding the crown. That would make the Ducks No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has a total of eight hard commits, two of which are five-stars in tight end Kendre Harrison and EDGE Richard Wesley.

There are four four-star commits in running back Tradarian Ball, defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, linebacker Tristan Phillips, and safety Xavier Lherisse. There are two three-star commits in defensive lineman Viliami Moala, and EDGE Dutch Horisk. Oregon has yet to add a quarterback in the class of 2026, making Ponatoski's commitment a top priority.

The average Name, Image, and Likeness or NIL amount for each Oregon Ducks recruit in the class of 2026 is reportedly $176,000.

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