Nike money doesn't hurt. Cool uniforms and top-tier facilities don't hurt either. However, Oregon has had all of those things for decades. The new thing in Eugene? The Ducks' head coach Dan Lanning.
As Oregon's recruiting classes continue to rise in the national rankings, many people are pointing toward Nike and its founder Phil Knight as the main reason for the Ducks' success amongst blue-chip prospects.
Sure, Nike and Knight have given a lot of money to Oregon and the athletic program's NIL fund but the Ducks have always had a special connection with the sportswear brand. Oregon has always had the newest, most unique uniforms. Oregon has always had high-end facilities like Hayward Field, the Mo, and the Casanova Athletic buildings.
I know a lot of Oregons recruiting success just gets put onto ‘Nike Money’ and ‘Uncle Phil’ but they’ve had that for awhile.
— Fifth Quarter (@FifthQuarter) December 4, 2024
They didn’t really start recruiting like this until Dan Lanning and going to the B1G pic.twitter.com/TuJ9X0ra5c
NIL became a thing for everyone at the same time. Everyone has had the same period to build up an NIL fund and learn how to recruit in this new era of college sports. Lanning has simply done it better than anyone else.
While athletes couldn't directly receive money from Nike in the past, Oregon athletes still felt the benefit of having "Uncle Phil" in their corner. Yet, coaches like Chip Kelly, Mario Cristobal, and Willie Taggart didn't have the same kind of success during their recruiting cycles at Oregon.
Lanning is the difference. Not Nike. Not Phil Knight. Lanning knows football. Lanning knows how to recruit on a national level. Lanning knows how to build a National Championship-caliber team.
In 2016, former Oregon assistant coach Scott Frost said, "It’s hard in those places because we’re just not in close proximity, Oregon wasn’t and isn’t in close proximity to the fertile recruiting ground."
Lanning has proved Frost, and any other doubters, entirely incorrect. As the Ducks mastermind of a head coach would say, "The grass is damn green in Eugene."