Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have landed a playmaker with an elite talent on the recruiting trail.
The Oregon Ducks have lost a ton of key players in the transfer portal this winter, but they seem to be making it for it with their tantalizing 2026 recruiting class.
And on Monday, head coach Dan Lanning added yet another piece to the puzzle, landing a commitment from four-star running back Brandon Smith.
Smith originally signed with the Arizona Wildcats last month, but decommitted from the program over the weekend before joining Oregon a couple of days later.
The Fresno, Ca. product is the 21st-ranked running back in his class as well as being the 29th-ranked player in the state of California.
Smith is known for his 'elite' athleticism, which Greg Biggins of 247 Sports outlined in a scouting report of the six-foot, 180-pound weapon over the summer.
"Elite track metrics and competed in five events last spring with a personal best 10.67-100-meter, 21.52-200m and anchored the school's 4X400 relay team that finished 2nd at the CA State Track and Field Championship," Biggins wrote. "Speed shows up on the football field and he’s able to accelerate and hit his top end gear after just a few strides."
Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning. Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images.Lanning's addition of Smith now gives the Ducks the second-best 2026 recruiting class in the nation, jumping ahead of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Only the USC Trojans are ahead of Oregon at this point.
The Ducks, however, have bagged four five-star prospects compared to just one for USC, but the Trojans have the edge in four-stars, 21 to 13.
Not only that, but USC has secured a total of 35 commitments for 2026. Oregon has registered 22 thus far, so Lanning still has plenty of runway.
The Ducks have posted back-to-back 13-win campaigns and have logged five straight double-digit win seasons. Lanning has gone 48-8 since taking over in 2022.
Most recently, Oregon went 13-2, falling to the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl.
Lanning has watched as 28 players have transferred out of the program this offseason. The Ducks have poached 12 players of their own in the transfer portal, including former five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola.
We'll see if Oregon can finally get over the hump and win a national championship next season, especially with Dante Moore back under center.
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