From Stephenson High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, KJ "Spider Man" Green is a five-star, 6-4, 215-pound edge rusher, the No. 8 prospect and No. 2 edge in the country according to 247Sports.
Green visited the Ducks for the Scavenger Hunt on May 8th and 9th, and the program made a huge impression. He told Oregon updates, “The visit was AMAZING! My biggest takeaway was truly feeling like I was a part of the team during the scavenger hunt and spending time around the guys. It felt genuine and authentic the entire time.”
As a sophomore in 2025, the quick-twitch edge player made an astounding 134 tackles. Recruiting analyst Tom Loy of 247 reported one scout called Green "as close to can't-miss as you'll find in the country." As a junior, he piled up 40 tackles for loss, 18 sacks, eye-popping production that made him a Polynesian Bowl All-American.
Green has toured nine schools this spring. He's scheduled official visits to Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Miami and Texas, a list that marks him as a big-ticket item in the world of NIL and recruiting announcements on national TV.
Oregon's pursuit of Green is part of a cohesive strategy
In an era of $45 million rosters in college football, programs have to be strategic about how they allocate resources. As Dan Lanning put it before the Oklahoma State game last year, "We spend to win. Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't."
There's spending, but there's also judgment and evaluation. Of the 32 selections in the first round of this year's NFL draft, teams took five edge rushers, seven offensive tackles, two quarterbacks, two running backs, two safeties, one tight end. Six more edge rushers were taken in Round 2.
While drafts vary in their distribution and position strength, it's immediately apparent that edge rusher is a high-value, high-impact position. A team can groom linebackers, tight ends, centers. It can make do with a running back further down the board. But the traits of elite edge rushers are scarce. These cats possess the ability to change the equation on the field.
Players like David Bailey at Texas Tech, Rueben Bain at Miami and Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei at Oregon can wreck what an opponent wants to do. They can put an opposing quarterback in his head and destroy the rhythm of an offense.
Explosive quickness and disruption make edge rushers a dominating weapon
The Ducks took three edge rushers in 2026, Anthony "Tank" Jones, Prince Tavizon and Dutch Horisk. They signed three in 2025, Nasir Wyatt, Matthew Johnson and Tobi Haastrup. Elijah Rushing was a five-star recruit in 2024.
For 2027, the program has a commitment from 6-4, 230 edge Rashad Streets and 6-3 231 Cameron Pritchett from Alabaster, Alabama, but they haven't slowed down in their pursuit of Green. They know that it's the most valuable position in defensive football in terms of disruption and versatility.
Hands, tenacity and quickness make Green an elite prospect. He can add weight to a lean frame and become even more powerful.
To win those playoff games where Oregon faltered in 2024 and 2025, they need to create havoc. A defense that allowed less than 20 points a game during the regular year gave up 41 to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and 56 to Indiana. Defensively, they failed to disrupt the opponents' timing and took big hits. A lack of pressure leads to explosive plays.
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