Oregon's Recruiting Ranking Gets Major Boost After Will Mencl Commitment

The Oregon Ducks rose in the class of 2027 recruiting rankings after the commitment of five-star recruit, quarterback Will Mencl.

Chandler quarterback Will Mencl (7) talks to the media during the Chandler Unified School District football Media Day in Chandler, on July 29, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks 2027 recruiting class got a major boost with the commitment of five-star quarterback Will Mencl. Mencl announced that he would be committing to Oregon. The other two finalists he was choosing between were the Auburn Tigers and Penn State Nittany Lions. 

Oregon’s Recruiting Ranking Gets Boost With Will Mencl Commitment 

Chandler quarterback Will Mencl throws a pass during an ASU 7 on 7 tournament in Tempe, on June 12, 2025. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Mencl is 6-3, 205 pound quarterback out of Chandler, Arizona. He is rated as a five-star recruit and ranked as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class per Rivals. 

Before the commitment of Mencl, Oregon’s 2027 class was ranked No. 9 in the country with eight commits. All eight of these commits were rated four-stars or three-stars. Mencl is their ninth overall commit and first five-star commit in the 2027 class. He is also the first quarterback in this class to commit to Oregon.

Oregon is now ranked as having the No. 6 class for 2027 per Rivals, jumping up three spots with the Mencl commitment. Here are the top 10 2027 recruiting classes currently ranked by Rivals. 

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. Texas A&M Aggies
2. Texas Tech Red Raiders
3. Oklahoma Sooners
4. USC Trojans
5. Ohio State Buckeyes
6. Oregon Ducks
7. Georgia Bulldogs
8. Florida Gators
9. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
10. LSU Tigers 

There are two Big Ten teams ranked above Oregon: USC and Ohio State. The Ducks will be traveling to take on both on the road during the 2026 season.

After his commitment, Mencl revealed why he believed Oregon was the school for him.

“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff. I feel like that continued over time, especially when I first got there last spring,” Mencl said on Rivals livestream after committing. “Then the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. It felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”

Future of Oregon’s Quarterback Room

Nov 28, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) greets the team as the walk into the stadium before the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Ducks have the potential for a loaded quarterback room in 2027. 2026 seems pretty set in stone with quarterback Dante Moore returning for another season. Moore was projected to be an early first round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, but he opted to return to Eugene.

2027 is an unknown. In the transfer portal this offseason, Oregon landed former five-star recruit and former Nebraska Cornhuskers starting quarterback Dylan Raiola. Raiola is coming off a season ending leg injury, so he will have time to heal for 2027.

Then there is quarterback Akili Smith Jr. Smith followed in his father's footsteps and signed with Oregon out of high school. The class of 2025 recruit will enter the 2026 season as one of the backups to Moore. Once Moore leaves, that will open the door for Smith to potentially get a look to start.

Another quarterback to keep an eye on is Brock Thomas, who played in a handful of games in 2025 in relief of Moore.

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