The hidden strength of Oregon football recruiting

Speed, physicality and toughness form the identity of Dan Lanning's football team, but the less obvious strength is great people behind the scenes.

Dan Lanning's a dynamic leader. One of his gifts is identifying driven, focused people for key roles. The Ducks just do things differently. Throughout the organization, there are people who sweat the details and make things happen, that bring excellence and pride to their work.

Two such people got promotions this week when Lydia Gibbs was named Assistant General Manager and Tyler Dean became Oregon's new general manager. Gibbs is the first female assistant GM in Power 4 football.

The two have been with Lanning since the beginning, Dean as director of scouting and player personnel and Gibbs as on-campus recruiting coordinator. They were the engine, the nuts and bolts of four straight Top Five recruiting classes, now rewarded for their effort and attention to detail.

Inside the building, they call Gibbs "a rock star' and "the queen of Eugene." It's her energy and personality that makes families feel welcome on recruiting visits, seeing that they're comfortable while creating a feeling of family, something that's huge in their decision-making.

Gibbs took a big risk following Lanning, leaving her home state of Georgia. It's paid off for the Ducks in a big way. Recruit after recruit leaves campus raving about the Oregon experience, and the difference it made in their recruiting process. Gibbs helps create that, mindful to include the families.

Gibbs served internships with the NFL Women's Forum and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Just this week KJ Green, the five-star edge rusher from Stone Mountain, Georgia, told Max Torres of Scoop Duck, "It (his visit) absolutely did move the needle for Oregon." He went from having the Ducks outside his final ten to scheduling an official visit in June.

It's those needle-moving moments, the atmosphere of both excitement and comfortability that Gibbs excels in creating. She does it with warmth and authenticity, describing herself as "a mama with 105 babies." She creates trust.

Tyler Dean does the legwork in scouting

Dean has also been on the staff since 2022. His eye for talent and traits has helped make the Ducks successful both in high school recruiting and the Transfer Portal, bringing players like Tez Johnson, Ajani Cornelius and Dillon Thieneman, high school stars who blossom like Matthew Johnson and Brandon Finney.

The Ducks succeed at a high level because they identify players with not only ability but a drive to be great. Dean works the film and talks to high school coaches, sifting through as many as 150 players at each position.

In 2023 he told "The TD Show" podcast, "You're looking to build a board of 300-400 kids out there and try to figure out which guys that have interest in Oregon."

"You're always trying to find find another prospect out there that no one knows about," Dean said. The challenge is that there's so much information available to everyone with the explosion of recruiting services and interest in that aspect of college football, On3/Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN.

For him, the key to the job is "just about us making the the right decisions evaluating the right prospects and really getting to know the the people that you're recruiting."

Lanning and Dean don't chase star ratings-- they're focused on looking for a special brand of competitiveness and desire. "Everyone that we're recruiting is extremely talented but we want to make sure that we target the right kind of kid that has the right competitive toughness you know that that fits our vision and Mission as a program," he said.

It's a formula that works, and the promotions of Dean and Gibbs provide both continuity and a well-earned reward for the people that make it happen.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow