The Oregon Ducks are back in action, which marks the return of the recruiting season in college football. The rest of the season will see Autzen Stadium filled with fans, but also with some of the nation's top recruits. Week 1 of the season showed that recruits are ready to show up in bunches as the Ducks hosted a loaded group of recruits.
Dan Lanning has made a tradition out of finishing in the top 5 of the recruiting rankings, and with the Nation's 4th ranked class in place for the 2027 cycle, the attention is turning toward 2028. Oregon has become a destination for some of the nation's best regardless of position, and the Ducks will have a chance to host the nation's top safety later this year.
Oregon lands game day visit with elite safety recruit Gaige Weddle
On Thursday, elite safety recruit Gaige Weddle announced his schedule for visits this fall, as the Oregon Ducks are one of the 7 schools on the list along with Utah, Cal, BYU, Miami, UCLA, and Ohio State.
NEW: Elite Safety Gaige Weddle has locked in his game-day visits for the fall, @adamgorney reports✈️
— Rivals (@Rivals) September 10, 2026
Gaige ranks No. 12 NATL (No. 1 S) in the 2028 Rivals300.
Read: https://t.co/0rHqkoEOXL pic.twitter.com/7gQPGa5gkA
Gaige Weddle will make the trip to Autzen Stadium on November 14th rather than the 11th for a potential Top 25 clash between Oregon and the Michigan Wolverines.
According to Rivals' Recruiting Rankings, Gaige Weddle is the 12th-ranked player in the country, the top safety in the class, and the top player out of California. Weddle plays at Rancho Bernardo High School, which has produced 5 NFL players, including active players Matt Araiza, the punter for the Chiefs, and Saints wide receiver Devaughn Vele.
If the last name sounds familiar, it's because Gaige Weddle is the son of former NFL star Eric Weddle. The former San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, and Los Angeles Rams star spent 14 seasons in the NFL, going to 6 Pro Bowls, being named to 5 All-Pro teams, and winning Super Bowl LVI with the Rams.
Eric Weddle played his college football at Utah, where he was named to the All-Mountain West team 3 times, the back-to-back Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year in 2005 and 2006, and a Consensus All-American in 2006. For his accomplishments, Eric Weddle was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in January.
At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Gaige Weddle is already taller than his father, while both are playing around the same weight, as Eric was listed at 195 pounds. Along with his ability on defense, Gaige Weddle also plays quarterback at the High School level.
Given that Eric Weddle played for the Utah Utes, they're going to be a hard team to beat out in this recruitment. Two interesting parts of Gaige Weddle's recruitment are the fact that he'll visit BYU despite his ties to Utah, while his father's former coach, Kyle Whittingham, won't get a visit now that he's at Michigan.
Getting Gaige Weddle on campus could prove to be critical in the Ducks' recruitment of the Nation's top safety recruit, as he's yet to visit Eugene. Dan Lanning and the coaching staff have had plenty of success developing defensive backs, with the latest being 1st round safety Dillon Thieneman. Teams like Ohio State have gotten an early start on recruiting Weddle, and the best way to make up ground would be crushing expectations with the game day visit.
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