Five-Star Oregon Ducks Commit Already Receives Superstar Comparison

The Oregon Ducks were able to secure a commitment from five-star edge rusher Anthony Jones back in July, and Jones ultimately signed with Oregon to make it official.

Jones is the seventh-ranked edge rusher and the 33rd-ranked player overall in the class of 2026 and could receive legitimate playing time right from the jump during his freshman campaign.

In fact, the Mobile, Al. product is already earning some pretty impressive comparisons before his collegiate career even begins.

“I love Anthony Tank Jones, the edge rusher,” 247Sports recruiting director Andrew Ivins said. “I think he’s the closest thing to Miami’s Reuben Bain in this 2026 class. He’s a thick cut individual, but he can rush, crush, and close.”

Jones had received 37 offers prior to committing to Oregon, with just about every big-name school you can imagine in on his recruitment.

It was yet another score for Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, who keeps on piling up wins over his first half-decade in Eugene.

Meanwhile, Bain was viewed by some as the top overall player in the country heading into 2025 and ultimately finished with 54 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks and an interception, helping lead Miami to a National Championship Game appearance.

Bain's stock has dipped a bit since Week 1, but he remains one of the top talents in the upcoming NFL Draft class and will probably be a top-10 pick.

Jones obviously has a long way to go to reach that level, but the fact that he is already drawing comparisons to such an explosive player is a terrific sign moving forward.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass rusher played both sides of the ball in high school, most recently registering six sacks and a couple of forced fumbles in 2025 while also scoring 13 total touchdowns as an H-back.

Jones will be joining an Oregon defensive front that already includes stars such as Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti and A'Mauri Washington, so the competition will be fierce. But he seems talented enough to potentially make an impact in Year 1.

We'll see if Jones has a strong enough showing in camp to earn some playing time next fall.

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