The Oregon Ducks were on a bye in Week 13 but head coach Dan Lanning never took his foot off the gas as he donned his recruiting cap, brought in elite commitments, and took a trip to put an eye on a few high school players that could become future Ducks.
On Friday, Nov. 22, Lanning attended the semifinal matchup between West Linn High School (Portland-area) and Sheldon High School (Eugene).
Currently, the Ducks already hold a commitment from Sheldon kicker Rocco Graziano in the class of 2025 and Lanning is always looking for a few more Oregon natives to add to his roster.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning in the house to see Sheldon vs West Linn. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/0XoZd8A1Wu
— Cameron Derby (@CamDerbyTV) November 23, 2024
While the state of Oregon may not be able to compare to states like Texas, California, and Florida when it comes to high school-level competition, Lanning loves bringing hometown players into his program.
One of the current Oregon stars is linebacker Bryce Boettcher, a Eugene native who played baseball for Oregon before walking onto the Ducks' football team. Not to mention Sheldon alum, tight end Patrick Herbert who also grew up in Eugene – alongside brother and Oregon legend Justin Herbert.
In the 6A matchup between West Linn and Sheldon, the Sheldon Irish walked away with a 28-21 victory to punch their ticket to the Oregon state championship game.
West Linn senior tight end Baron Naone is currently committed to the Washington Huskies and interior offensive lineman Jake Normoyle is committed to the Oregon State Beavers. Both West Linn stars are top-five athletes in the state for the class of 2025.
On the other side of the field, Sheldon linebacker Mana Tuioti is already committed to playing for the Boise State Broncos next season.
Maybe, just maybe, a visit from Lanning, the head coach of the No. 1 team in the entire country, was a last-minute attempt to bring in a few more local players to the Oregon football program before the recruiting cycle closes.