Dan Lanning is relentless. Once again, Lanning brought in one of the biggest transfer portal targets of the season. Former Tulane star running back Makhi Hughes committed to the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday, Jan. 9 after visiting Eugene over the weekend.
Hughes was the No. 1 running back target in the winter transfer portal and had basically been considering the Ducks since he entered.
According to On3's Pete Nakos, Oregon has the momentum to land star Tulane RB Makhi Hughes out of the transfer portal.
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) December 30, 2024
Nakos said, "All signs point to Makhi Hughes landing in Oregon." 👀 pic.twitter.com/jsBnka1kF0
With a visit to Eugene and a meeting with head coach Dan Lanning, it's hard for players to resist the allure of a program like the Ducks – especially with Oregon coming off a 13-1 season with a Big Ten title in its back pocket.
Beyond being the No. 1 RB prospect in the portal, Hughes was the No. 3 overall athlete to enter his name during the winter transfer window.
BREAKING: Tulane star transfer RB Makhi Hughes has officially Committed to Oregon, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 7, 2025
The 5’11 210 RB totaled 2,779 Yards & 24 TDs in 2 seasons with the Green Wave
Ranked as the No. 3 Overall Player in the Portal (No. 1 RB) per On3 🦆https://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/SLuNRdIodM
During his sophomore season for the Tulane Green Wave, Hughes amassed an incredible 1,401 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground – both career highs. The running back also earned 176 receiving yards for 2 additional touchdowns.
Following the announcement that Oregon star running back Jordan James had declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, Hughes' addition to the Ducks' RB room is crucial. Hughes will join current Oregon RB2 Noah Whittington, who played understudy to James throughout the 2024 season.
Hughes was a three-star prospect coming out of high school in the class of 2022 and was the No. 38 overall running back in the country. He officially entered his name into the transfer portal on Dec. 27, 2024.
Lanning and the Ducks lost sophomore running back Ellis Bynum to the transfer portal earlier in the week. Throughout his time with Oregon, Bynum played almost entirely on special teams and saw very few offensive snaps.