In "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" Dev Patel's character has a saying: "Everything will come out right in the end. If things are not right, this is not the end." Oregon football recruiting is a little bit like that.
The Ducks have had a woeful spring. They've lost out in every big hat ceremony and had five high-profile prospects decommit, flip or put them on hold. They're stuck on seven and have fallen all the way to No. 18 in the Rivals Team Rankings.
Dan Lanning, who has corralled recruiting classes ranked No. 5, 6, and 9 over the last three years, suddenly looks like a recruiting guppy among sharks. Two players from the 2025 class, offensive tackle Alai Kalaniuvalu and quarterback Jaron Sagapolutele changed schools without ever suiting up for the Ducks, though Sagapolutele attended a few practices before the Rose Bowl.
Lanning is a high-energy guy who knows what he's doing. The Ducks have shifted their strategy a bit in an overheated marketplace where many schools are paying high school recruits a monthly salary to keep them committed.
Wisely, rather than overpaying for freshmen, Oregon has focused on retaining their star players and acquiring proven talent through the portal, aiming for title runs in 2025 and 2026.
It doesn't mean they've given up on high school recruiting. He told George Wrighster of "The Unafraid Show, "Since we've been here we've put a premium on recruiting the best players in the nation. We want to build it from the ground up. You always want to start with high school."
"You want to make sure your roster is competitive. You want to make sure you're ready to compete with the best of the best."
The Ducks are among the favorites in the Big Ten for 2025. They're loaded and deep.
The chase for the future ramps up in Eugene this weekend, the first of four crucial visit weekends in Eugene. Brayden Parks, a 2027 6-3, 305 defensive tackle from Brother Rice in Chicago is scheduled. Jett Washington comes in next weekend, the 6-5 safety from Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas.
The visitor list for May 31 is heavy on future prospects, 2027 recruits.
May 31 - June 1
4-star DL Tony Cumberland (commit)
4-star DL Viliami Moala (commit)
4-star WR Larry Miles
3-star DB Elijah Pendleton
3-star SAF Tay Lockett (Arkansas commit)
3-star ATH Amari Sabb
5-star DL Jalen Brewster ('27)
4-star QB Trent Seaborn ('27)
4-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett ('27)
4-star WR Trenton Yancey ('27)
4-star EDGE Krew Jones ('27)
4-star EDGE Prince Tavizon ('27)
4-star DL Kasi Currie ('27)
4-star OT Qua Ford ('27)
4-star WR Quentin Hale ('27)
4-star CB Danny Lang ('27)
4-star SAF Myles Baker ('27)
4-star RB Jaxon Stokes ('27)
4-star QB Sione Kaho ('27)
4-star CB Jailen Hill ('27)
4-star DT Brayden Parks ('27)
5-star ATH Xavier Sabb ('27)
3-star QB Jaden Jefferson ('27)
4-star QB Keegan Croucher
4-star RB Maliq Allen ('27)
Bryan Granger-Narcisse ('27)
4-star SAF Gavin Williams ('27)
4-star DL Elija Harmon ('27)
DJ Ferguson ('29)
Makai Buchanan ('29)
Dan Lanning hasn't forgotten how to recruit. Look for the Ducks to gain some momentum over the next four weeks.