The start of July looks like the excitement will continue rolling in for the Oregon Ducks on the recruiting trail. It's hard to ask for much more than what the Ducks pulled off in June, with 8 commitments to help build out this class. While Oregon landed 8 commitments in June, some of the Ducks' top targets will actually come off the board in July.
This Summer, Rivals is bringing excitement with their new Rivals Summer Signing Day Event, which promises to bring drama. According to their schedule, 9 recruits will announce their commitments, and most notably for the Ducks, Oregon will have a hat on the table for 3 announcements. Coming into the day, the Ducks were watching two defensive back recruits, and Dan Lanning has already started with a bang.
Oregon lands cornerback Tae Walden Jr over 4 SEC powers
On Wednesday , Oregon picked up a major recruiting win as Tae Walden Jr announced his commitment, picking the Ducks over Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss, and LSU.
BREAKING: Elite 2027 ATH Tae Walden Jr. has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 1, 2026
The 6’2 175 ATH chose the Ducks over LSU, Georgia, Ole Miss, & Auburn
He’s ranked as the No. 3 ATH in the 2027 Rivals Industry Rankings
“I’m home, Sco Ducks🦆”https://t.co/ZaAU8IaT3I pic.twitter.com/YZdPK14BGV
According to Rivals' Industry Recruiting Rankings, Tae Walden Jr is a 4-star recruit ranked as the 70th ranked player in the country, the 3rd ranked athlete in the class, and the 4th ranked player out of Tennessee. If Walden were ranked as a cornerback rather than an athlete with his national ranking, he'd ranked 10th in the class at the position.
The reason that Tae Walden Jr is listed as an athlete in the recruiting rankings is the fact that he's an explosive wide receiver for Collierville, posting 42 catches for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns this season. Considering his explosive ability as a receiver and a kick returner, Walden could have a great role in Eugene on offense as well as special teams.
Tae Walden Jr instantly becomes Oregon's top ranked cornerback recruit, but his time with that status shouldn't last too long. Just 15 minutes after announcing his commitment to Oregon, Hayden Stepp will be announcing his commitment with everyone expecting the Ducks to land back-to-back commitments.
When Ai'King Hall flipped away from Oregon and the Ducks missed out on 5-star cornerback Donte Wright, the cornerback outlook in this class looked bleak. Hayden Stepp was an obvious top target for the Ducks, but outside of him it was unclear where else the staff could turn. Turning to Tae Walden Jr was a perfect move for the Ducks, and overcoming the 4 SEC schools is a major win for the coaching staff.
The Ducks have proven this cycle that they're a national recruiting power as landing the Tennessee native marks the 16th different state represented in this class. The Ducks' reach has never been on better display, and the ability to recruit against any school in any state is beyond impressive.
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