Tuesday night recruiting websites Rivals, On3 Sports and 247Sports all removed Richard Wesley from the Oregon commitment list, the 5-star 2026 edge rusher from Sierra Canyon High in Chatsworth, California.
"Inside the Pylon," a Midwest football podcast that covers Notre Dame and the Big Ten, wrote, "The Dan Lanning pool jump looking even worse now?" Fans from UW and USC were even more derisive.
An hour before this news, it came out that Alai Kalaniuvalu, a 6-4, 305 2025 offensive lineman from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas who signed with the Ducks on December 5, instead enrolled at BYU.
Suddenly the Ducks are everybody's fall guy, a punch line on social media. It seems another high-profile recruit decommits every three weeks. It gets a little dizzying.
What exactly is going on in Oregon recruiting?
Since the first of the year it has the appearance of a monumental slump. Kodi Greene decommitted, flipped to Washington. Bott Mulitalo and 4-star defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui jumped. Four-star quarterback Jonas Williams flipped to USC.
Lesley jumps into the pool, then jumps out of it. Kalaniuvalu changes schools after signing.
Taken individually, there's an explanation and a context for each decision. At quick glance it looks like a trend.
Deep breath. In the case of Kalaniuvalu, the impact is muted because the player is going on a two-year religious mission and doesn't hit the active roster until 2028. Good prospect, but it doesn't hit the depth chart for a long time.
Wesley's move is a negotiating tactic, and from the perspective of his family, a smart one. They've seen the news and recent NIL deals like 5-star tackle Jackson Cantwell at Miami.
He's still visiting Oregon on June 6, but he has a trip planned to Texas on June 20 and another one to Ohio State August 30, the date of the Buckeyes' big-game showdown with the Longhorns.
Reopening his recruitment maximizes his value, a decision made by his representation. Lesley liked Oregon and his jump into the pool reflected genuine enthusiasm. Now it's a business decision, time to play coy.
Among Duck fans, there's the group that says, "Relax, it's early" and another that's ready to jam the panic button.
Two things: one, NIL, the House Settlement and the portal have made recruiting more volatile than it's ever been. There's crazy money out there and unregulated competition, so decisions take on the fluidity and formlessness of a '60s acid trip.
Second, this weekend is the first of several pivotal visit weekends in college football. At Oregon the Ducks have top prospects like Ryder Lyons, Immanuel Iheanacho, Wesley, Brandon Arrington and Nick Abrams scheduled to visit over the next few weeks.
On the offensive line, Archbishop Riordan interior lineman Tommy Tofi is scheduled to come to Eugene again on June 8, his sixth trip to the Emerald City. Four-star offensive tackle Kelvin Obot stops by June 20-22.
Three-star o-lineman Jax Turner of Meridian, Idaho makes his official trip on June 6.
June and July will see a flurry of decisions. Safety Jett Washington is trending to the Ducks and has them scheduled for June 14.
Five-star prospect and Notre Dame commit Joey O'Brien, 6-3, 180, a two-way threat in football and also a standout basketball player from LaSalle College High School in Philadelphia, makes his official to UO on June 6, Notre Dame two weeks later.
By the 4th of July two dozen of these high-profile players will make commitment announcements with all the usual fanfare, and the shape of Oregon's 2026 class will be clearer.
The real problem is that none of these decisions are final or binding. Even signing isn't. In the absence of a collective bargaining agreement or meaningful regulation, it's still the Wild West in football, unregulated free agency.
That makes people greedy. College football needs one portal window, some form of collective bargaining agreement and a salary structure.
In the meantime, Oregon's roster for 2025 looks mostly set, and it's a strong one.