Oregon Ducks projected to land 3 of nation's top 10 football prospects by national expert

Andrew Nemec | Mar 28, 2025

Jackson Cantwell poses with Oregon coach Dan Lanning during a two-day visit to Oregon / Courtesy of Jackson Cantwell

It's still early in the 2026 recruiting cycle and there's a lot still to be determined before the dust settles on December's early signing period.

But Rivals national director of recruiting Adam Gorney recently took on a major task, predicting where the future landing spots of the entire RIvals top 250 prospects (predicting Nos. 1-50).

Admittedly, those predictions are a blend of current snapshot - "here's what would happen today if 'Player X' were to commit - and a projection of the future, but Gorney is one of the best in the business.

So, it's a fascinating tool for projecting the future recruiting classes of some of the nation's top schools.

And, as it turns out, it's very good news for Oregon.

Gorney projects the Ducks to land three of the nation's top-10 prospects, including the nation's top recruit, Nixa (Missouri) five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell.

This week on "Recruiting with Andrew Nemec" on ESPN-affiliate 1080 The FAN, Gorney joined the show to break down the top-250 prediction undertaking, as well as why he feels Oregon is in excellent shape to land three top-10 prospects this cycle.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

Here's what Gorney had to say, within his article, regarding Oregon's chances with a few of the top prospects:

No. 1 - Nixa (Missouri) offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell: "This race is very close – almost too close to call – but Oregon has the edge right now and it helps that coach Dan Lanning has Missouri roots. Georgia, Michigan and now Miami are battling hard with Missouri lurking."

No. 3 - Folsom (California) quarterback Ryder Lyons: "Things could dramatically change here but if Jared Curtis picks Georgia, then Oregon could be the front-runner for Lyons. If Curtis picks the Ducks, then Michigan is sitting pretty. BYU, Ohio State, USC, Ole Miss and others are involved."

No. 8 - Sierra Canyon (California) defensive end Richard Wesley: "The five-star defensive end who reclassified from the 2027 class has talked highly of Oregon and USC throughout his recruitment. Now Texas is a very serious player in his recruitment as well and should be heavily considered. But the Ducks have been around for so long and close so well in California."

Interestingly, Gorney also projects Dan Lanning's program to land two other top-50 prospects and, within the radio interview, discussed how Oregon was also firmly in the mix for the nation's No. 4, 5 and 6 prospects.

In other words, the future looks "Damn Green in Eugene," as Oregon fans like to say.

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