Oregon has four 5-stars in 2026 class with addition of EDGE Anthony Jones

This weekend is looking like a massive one on the recruiting trail for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks. The good news began on Thursday.

Alabama looked like the team to beat for Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal five-star EDGE Anthony “Tank” Jones for much of the spring and summer, but he donned green and yellow upon announcing his commitment on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ choosing the Ducks over the Tide and Texas A&M.

The Big Ten program’s late surge has brought it one of the biggest recruiting wins of the cycle. Jones is now set to make the cross-country trek to Eugene at the next level and gives Oregon its fourth five-star pledge in 2026.

“The process was tough,” Jones told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “I took my time, stayed humble, and listened to the people I trust … I have had this feeling about Oregon for a while now, and the relationships were strong, and it just came down to that gut feeling.”

With Jones now in the fold, Oregon’s class jumped one spot to No. 6 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. With two more top-100 prospects — cornerback Davon Benjamin and defensive lineman Deuce Geralds — also set to announce this weekend, the Ducks could make another jump in their push to ink yet another top-five class.

Oregon’s monster summer continues

The Ducks were the butt of a few jokes on the trail following a lackluster spring that saw the program whiff on a few key targets, while a couple others flipped elsewhere. To no surprise, though, that didn’t deter Lanning and his staff one bit.

Oregon kept the pedal to the metal and the dividends have been massive. On June 19, it won out for Las Vegas Bishop Gorman five-star Jett Washington, the No. 1 safety in the cycle. Alabama and USC battled, but the nephew of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant was trending toward the Ducks for some time before pulling the trigger on his pledge.

“Oregon has what I am looking for,” Washington told Rivals. “My relationships with the coaches are strong, coach Lanning is a defensive-minded head coach, I love the whole environment and Oregon sets their guys up for life after football. Just the fit at Oregon is right for me.”

On July 3, Baltimore Georgetown Prep Five-Star Plus+ offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho opted to kick off a mega weekend of decisions with his commitment to the Ducks. Iheanacho’s recruitment was jam-packed — LSU, Penn State, Auburn and others were involved — but he began to trend toward Oregon after his official visits in June. He’s now the nation’s No. 6 recruit and No. 2 OT.

Lucas (Texas) Panther Creek four-star athlete Jalen Lott joined the fold five days after Iheanacho and also checks in as a top-100 recruit. Rochester (N.Y.) James Monroe four-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton, Sacramento Archbishop Riordan four-star interior OL Tommy Tofi, Winter Garden (Fla.) First Academy four-star safety Devin Jackson and Vista Murrieta (Calif.) four-star quarterback Bryson Beaver are among the other top-200 recruits that have committed since the beginning of June.

Not to be forgotten, Reidsville (N.C.) five-star tight end Kendre Harrison remains in the mix following his commitment back in November. He’s shut things down and is also a blue-chip basketball prospect, making for one of the more intriguing additions to the pledge list from an athleticism perspective.

Texarkana (Texas) Texas High four-star running back Tradarian Ball and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Willamette four-star defensive lineman Tony Cumberland have both been committed for over a year and each remain top-100 recruits, too. Just 16 total commits are in the class, so there’s still plenty of room in Eugene this cycle.

The entire Oregon class can be viewed here.