Oregon moves to No. 3 in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

Oregon and Dan Lanning continue to crush the Early Signing Period.

After a successful National Signing Day on Wednesday, the Ducks collected another important pledge on Thursday night, as Fairfield (Calif.) Armijo four-star defensive lineman Jericho Johnson announced his commitment, choosing Oregon over USC, Washington and Utah.

Johnson is the No. 143 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 16 defensive lineman and the No. 13 recruit in California.

With his commitment, Oregon made a three-spot jump and now owns the No. 3 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Only Georgia and Alabama remain ahead of the Ducks, who have now leapfrogged Ohio State.

Ducks flip pair of elite wide receivers on NSD

Not only did Oregon avoid any late drama with its crop of commits, it also poached a pair of four-star wide receivers from other Big Ten programs. First, Saint Louis Christian Brothers Academy four-star WR and top-100 recruit Jeremiah McClellan flipped from Ohio State. Later in the day, Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan four-star WR Ryan Pellum did the same, flipping from USC.

“That’s the thing. When you recognize a guy that you think can be a dynamic piece of what you’re doing — what you’re building — you don’t throw in the towel. You keep working, and that’s what we’ve done over the last several months,” Lanning said of recruiting McClellan to On3’s Andy Staples on Wednesday night.

McClellan is the No. 52 overall prospect in the cycle, while Pellum checks in as the No. 129 recruit. They doubled Oregon’s wideout tally in the class, joining fellow signees San Jacinto (Calif.) four-star Dillon Gresham and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei three-star Jack Ressler.

Elite defensive prospects highlight Oregon’s top-three class

Johnson is the latest elite defensive recruit to join the fold in Eugene. Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic four-star EDGE Elijah Rushing and Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei four-star DL Aydin Breland are the two highest-ranked signees in the class, checking in at No. 38 and No. 46 overall.

Forney (Texas) four-star safety Aaron Flowers headlines an elite quintet of defensive backs, alongside Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra four-star cornerback Dakoda Fields, JUCO CB Sione Laulea and Baltimore St. Frances Academy four-star CB Ify Obidegwu and Sacramento Grant Union four-star safety Kingston Lopa.

The class also includes a trio of blue-chip linebackers: Yelm (Wash.) four-star Brayden Platt, Long Beach (Calif.) Poly four-star Dylan Williams and Los Angeles Los Alamitos four-star Kamar Mothudi.

The top-250 offensive tackle duo of Pinson (Ala.) Clay-Chalkville four-star Jac’Qawn McRoy and Vancouver (Wash.) Evergreen four-star Fox Crader provide depth on the other side of the trenches. In total, Oregon now has 26 prospects in its class – 19 of whom are four-stars.