"Ball up top." Kirby Smart and Georgia have secured the talents of five star quarterback Jared Curtis. Already committed to the Bulldogs once, Curtis de-committed in October 2024, and opened his recruitment back up.
In February, he settled on Oregon and Georgia as the final two schools in his recruitment. With the way this recruitment had gone, including a visit in the early spring, many Duck fans felt that Curtis committing to Oregon was a foregone conclusion. The reality: This was a coin flip, and many, including recruiting experts and Curtis' own Mother felt that this decision truly came down to the last moment.
It is a brutal blow for the Ducks, as they have now lost out on several recruits, often finishing second. If that didn't sting enough, they have had commitment flips from several highly rated recruits, including defensive lineman "Tom-Tom" Tupoi (USC) and offensive tackle Kodi Greene (Washington). Also, they lost out on highly rated receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, who committed to Ohio State, sticking with his teammate, Chris Henry Jr, who Oregon was also involved heavily with.
Prior to this cycle, and even at times with the class of 2026, it felt that Dan Lanning was a national recruiting bully, and could acquire a commitment from just about anybody he chose. Whether Oregon is budgeting NIL funds, or others are catching up and levelling the playing field, it is difficult to tell exactly what the reasons for this recruiting dry spell is. One thing we do know: Oregon is due.
Here's (some) good news Oregon fans.
It is only May. The summer official visit season has yet to happen, and Dan Lanning typically "makes up ground" and finds the most success through the summer and fall.
Curtis' commitment to Georgia is not quite reason to hit the Oregon recruiting panic button, but your hand should be hovering over it. The next major commitment announcement will come on May 13, another opportunity for the Ducks to right their recruiting wrongs of this winter and spring.