The Oregon Ducks have been dominant in the winter transfer portal, bringing in some of the most highly-coveted recruits this offseason. However, on Thursday, Jan. 9, the former Boise State offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter accused the Ducks of tampering.
What is tampering exactly? Well, it's hard to define, especially as most players are represented by agents in the age of NIL deals and the transfer portal. Most of the time, it isn't schools or programs reaching out to players to begin with.
However, Koetter was a guest on KTIK, a Boise sports radio station, and said, "I know for a fact that just last week, after the Fiesta Bowl, one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks offering him $700k."
NEW: Outgoing Boise State OC Dirk Koetter claims Oregon tampered with players after the Fiesta Bowl😬
— On3 (@On3sports) January 9, 2025
"I know for a fact that just last week, after the Fiesta Bowl, one of the key starters on defense got a call from the Oregon Ducks offering him $700k."
(via @KTIK_953FM)… pic.twitter.com/qnVf3GAbCY
The NCAA states, "Schools can't contact players who aren't in the NCAA Transfer Portal without written notice from the player to their college's administrator. Contacting a player before they enter the portal is considered impermissible contact, and if it results in a transfer, it's considered tampering."
Koetter didn't go into detail about which player he was specifically referring to and he didn't say which Oregon staffer or coach had contacted the said Bronco. However, with the wins that the Ducks have been seeing since their loss in the Rose Bowl, all eyes are on head coach Dan Lanning and his squad – whether that be in a positive light or a negative one.
Because of the representation that many of the top players in the nation have these days, schools and agents getting in contact with one another has become a frequent workaround to the "tampering" rules that the NCAA has in place.
So far this offseason, Lanning secured notable commitments from former Purdue safety, Dillon Thieneman, former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, and former Florida State wide receiver Malik Benson – all of who entered the winter transfer portal after their 2024 seasons came to an end.
Only time will tell if the NCAA investigates these accusations further and if any punishments are passed down to Lanning and his staff.