Why 4-Star Receiver Recruit Jalen Lott Committed To Oregon Ducks Over Texas Longhorns

Texas Longhorns legacy, four-star wide receiver recruit Jalen Lott committed to the Oregon Ducks over Texas, LSU and the USC Trojans. The Frisco (Texas) athlete is a huge get for coach Dan Lanning's 2026 recruiting class, which ranks No. 8 in the country but could climb.

Why did Lott choose Oregon?

"Definitely my relationship with Coach Lanning and all the other coaches, they've been recruiting me for a long time, since, I really was a freshman. Being able to build that relationship with them was the biggest thing for me. Just kind of gravitated me towards him," said Lott on the Dave Campbell's Texas Football Livestream.

Why 4-Star Receiver Recruit Jalen Lott Commits To Oregon Ducks Over Texas Longhorns — Oregon coach Dan Lanning rallies his team during warmups before the Oregon Spring game at Autzen in Eugene April 26, 2025 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon was considered the favorites to land Lott, the No. 2 athlete, the No. 8 player in Texas and the No. 54 player in the nation. On Monday, expert predictions from On3's Justin Wells and Eric Nahlin say Lott will commit to the Oregon Ducks.

Lott plans on running track at Oregon as well.

"Obviously they also have a great track program that I'm really interested in. So I plan on doing both when I get there," Lott continued.

Texas Legacy 4-Star Receiver Recruit Jalen Lott Commit To Oregon Ducks Or Longhorns? Steve Sarkisian and Dan Lanning battle. — Jan 1, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

However, Texas did not backing down and the pull is certainly strong to Austin.

Lott has visited the in-state Longhorns five times. On his official visit on June 13, the Texas program brought out their notorious Lamborghinis, presented at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Seen in a video posted by Texas linebacker Elijah Barnes, at least eight different Lamborghinis were lined up for the recruits to see.

Lott is also a Longhorn legacy. His father, James Lott, played cornerback for Texas in the 1980s while his mother, Fey Lott, played for the Texas women's basketball team in the late '80s and early '90s.

Texas Legacy 4-Star Receiver Recruit Jalen Lott Commit To Oregon Ducks Or Longhorns? Coach Dan Lanning and Steve Sarkisian battle for his commitment. | oregon ducks on is

However, Ducks coach Dan Lanning was in prime position to land the elite receiver prospect, who could potentially play on either side of the ball. Oregon has hosted him for two visits, including an official on June 20.

Oregon had a 82.2 percent chance to land Lott, while Texas has a 13.7 percent chance and USC is third (1.0 percent,) according to On3's recruiting prediction machine.

Last season, the 6-foot-0, 170 pound athlete shined for Panther Creek High School, appearing in 12 games, finishing with 85 receptions, 1,111 yards and 16 touchdowns while also having 106 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Oregon Ducks freshman Dakorien Moore did his part in recruiting Lott. Dakorien Moore is also a Texas-native and is set up for a break out freshman season in Eugene, catching passes from quarterback Dante Moore.

Moore recently reacted to Lott's commitment date announcement on social media, telling the coveted athlete to "come on home" and commit to Oregon.

Oregon Ducks' Dakorien Moore is actively recruiting Texas Legacy 4-Star Receiver Recruit Jalen Lott to Commit To Oregon Ducks. | Jake Bunn, Oregon Ducks on SI

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New Ducks receivers coach Ross Douglas made a great impression on Lott. Douglas has found success recruiting for Oregon already, landing 4-star receiver Messiah Hampton (James Monroe, Rochester, NY.) Hampton is the only receiver commit for Oregon's 2026 recruiting class so far.

“Coach Lanning and Coach Ross (Douglas) are great guys. Playing under them, I can really separate myself. At Oregon, football is the main thing. I can walk around and make a name for myself. I have all the resources to a higher degree, especially if I’m playing well," Lott told Rivals' Sam Spiegelman about the Ducks.

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

The Ducks are also showing they have an ability to develop NFL talent under Lanning. Oregon has sent two wide receivers, Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson, to the NFL in the last NFL Drafts.

The Texas to Oregon connection is strong, in part due to Oregon's running backs coach Ra'Shaad Samples. Samples father was Moore's high school head coach at Duncanville (TX). Lanning hired Samples, who is just 30 years old, last April from Arizona State. Samples' top all-time commits to the Ducks are each from Texas: Moore (Duncanville, Duncanville, TX), running back Tradarian Ball (Texas High, Texarkana, TX) and receiver Jordan Hudson (Garland, Garland, TX.)

Lanning's 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 8 in the country and No. 3 in the Big Ten, following USC and the Ohio State Buckeyes. Oregon now has 14 commits, finding recent momentum with two commitments on July 3. First, five-star offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho committed to the Ducks on ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, and Iheanacho was followed by four-star safety prospect Devin Jackson.

Now that Lott is a Duck, Oregon fans have a lot to look forward to.