Dan Lanning and the Ducks Ready to Attack the Recruiting Trail in 2023 and Beyond
The Ducks made a big splash on National Signing Day this year, pulling in crucial recruits like cornerback Jahlil Florence, offensive lineman Dave Iuli, and maybe the next great running back in Jordan James. With Dan Lanning being able to salvage the Ducks a couple of strong recruits after a wave of de-commitments, it's now time for him to continue to focus on the future of the program.
With the 2022 class coming to a close, the 2023 class is still in its early stages for the Ducks. For Lanning and his staff, there's been no time wasted, racking up the miles flying across the country to meet high school coaches and visit some top 2023 targets in person at their schools.
“We’ll be aggressive in our approach moving forward,” Lanning said on Signing Day. “We've already been able to have a couple of guys on campus with the unofficial period this past month. We’ll definitely attack that coming in March.”
So far in their efforts, the Ducks have earned one verbal commitment in 2023 from Basha (Chandler, Ariz.) High School cornerback Cole Martin. Martin committed to Oregon in early January, joining his father, new Cornerbacks Coach Demetrice Martin, in Eugene.
Moving forward, Lanning said Oregon's attack will be focused on getting more athletes “on the phone, on campus, on Zooms.”
One thing that Lanning is counting on for his recruiting effort is a packed Autzen Stadium for the 2022 Spring Game.
“One of the biggest things that we can do as a fan base and a staff is focus on getting guys here for the [April] 23rd, for our spring game,” Lanning said. “We need to pack the crowd and make Autzen the experience we know it can be.”
As for where he'll look for prospects in 2023 and beyond, Lanning has made it clear that nowhere is off limits for the Ducks. Oregon's most recent class took a big hit in Texas following Mario's Cristobal's departure, but they got back into the state by adding cornerback Khamari Terrell from Shoemaker High School in Killeen.
“It’s a little bit year to year,” Lanning said when referencing the future of recruiting Texas. “We want to go attack the players that we think fit us and organizationally wherever they’re at, and sometimes that’s going to be Texas and sometimes it’ll be more in Texas than others…It’ll definitely be a place that we always go have a footprint and we're going to attack."
Despite wanting to establish a strong foothold in Texas, the coaching staff has made it apparent that they won’t be overlooking the state of Oregon when it comes to recruiting.
“My very first day recruiting, the very first day I could get on the road, I spent that time in Oregon and that time in Portland and in the area,” Lanning said. “So that’ll always be a priority. And obviously, for us we have the ability to go anywhere and that’s a blessing. But we have to win at home first.”
In the 2022 class, Lanning has been able to sign three of the top recruits out of Oregon in safety Trejon Williams, wide receiver Justius Lowe, and linebacker Emar’rion Winston. The Ducks were in the running for the top-ranked player in the state, wide receiver Darrius Clemson, but he signed with Michigan with the uncertainty around Oregon's coaching staff following Cristobal's departure.
With the 2022 recruiting period coming to a close, it’s almost time to start turning the page to see what Lanning can do with his first full year at Oregon.
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