The 2028 recruiting class has brought on several twists and turns, so what's another? One of Oregon's biggest '28 targets just threw a curveball to Dan Lanning.
Oregon's recruiting board took an unexpected turn.
Five-star cornerback, and second-ranked overall prospect A’mir Sears announced that he is reclassifying from 2028 to 2027. He will announce his commitment on July 31.
Sears, who Oregon is heavily pursuing, is also being recruited by Miami, LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Florida. However, it looks like Sears is already leaning one way.
Vice President of National Recruiting for Rivals, Steve Wiltfong, made a prediction that Sears was going to end up in Coral Gables to play for Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes.
After a runner-up season to the National Championship, Miami has built a tremendous amount of momentum on the recruiting trail, currently with the third-ranked class in ‘27.
The addition of Sears will only strengthen it.
So, what does this mean for Oregon?
The Ducks’ ‘27 class seems to be spoken for already, with the fourth-ranked overall class, and securing four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp, as well as athlete, Tae Walden.
Walden has the ability to play a Travis Hunter-type of role where he can thrive as both a wide receiver and cornerback. However, after Walden’s commitment, it seemed like Walden would be better suited for receiver.
Sears' reclassification removes one of Oregon's top 2028 targets from the board, forcing the Ducks to shift their attention elsewhere in the cycle.
To pivot, Oregon has firmly entered the race for cornerback Jermaine Cobbins.
Currently, Cobbins is the number-one ranked player in the state of Tennessee and the 28th-ranked player overall in the ‘28 class.
“It was everything I thought it would be,” Cobbins said of his visit to Oregon. “Great facilities, great coaches. Oregon has it all. I like [defensive coordinator] Coach Hampton a lot. I loved my time with him and Coach Dan Lanning was cool too. It was great meeting him. He has great energy. I’m ready to get back up there for a game-day visit. Oregon really stood out when I was there.”
While Oregon remains without a commitment in the 2028 cycle, the Ducks have already begun shifting their attention toward other elite prospects such as Cobbins.
