Oregon Trending Towards Historic Secondary Haul in 2025

Dan Lanning has the Oregon Ducks trending towards a historic secondary haul in the 2025 recruiting class. And that may be just what the doctor ordered.

Oregon boasts the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class, but people can expect the Ducks to be in the conversation for the No. 1 class when the early signing period comes around, in large part because of the caliber of players they’re pursuing in the secondary.

It’s worth noting that Oregon signed three All-Americans in the 2024 class: cornerback Dakoda Fields, cornerback Iffy Obidegwu and safety Aaron Flowers. Heck, you could say they added four if you count Alabama transfer Peyton Woodyard, who was an Adidas All-American selection in the 2024 class. And you can’t forget elite cornerback Sione Laulea III either, the nation’s No. 2 overall junior college prospect.

With that context, let’s take a look at how things could get even better this cycle—at least from a rankings and star-power standpoint.

CB Dorian Brew (Conroe, TX)

Brew surprised a lot of folks last month when he announced his commitment almost out of nowhere. I myself didn’t see it coming and his pledge helped the Ducks create a massive surge of recruiting momentum.

Originally from Ohio, Brew moved to Texas midway through last season and a lot of recruiting insiders like myself considered him an Ohio State lean. My interview with him before his Oregon official visit did seem to indicate some optimism around the Ducks’ chances, and his commitment is only making Eugene that much more of an attractive destination for other blue-chip recruits.

CB Brandon Finney (Owings Mills, MD)

Oregon did a fantastic job closing late and really making up ground to ultimately beat Penn State late for On3’s No. 1 recruit in Maryland. Finney has the frame that has become common with Lanning’s corners at 6’2″, 185 pounds.

You don’t need to watch much film to see why he’s a special player. He’s very fluid and excels at changing direction and tracking the ball in the air. Finney also turned in strong production as a wide receiver (51 catches, 632 yards, 4 TD per MaxPreps), which speaks to his versatility.

A trio of Finney, Brew and DJ Pickett would be a phenomenal cornerback haul for Rashad Wadood, Chris Hampton and the rest of this coaching staff.

S Trey McNutt (Cleveland, OH)

I put my prediction in for the Ducks last month and they continue to set the pace in this recruitment. McNutt, should he commit to the Ducks, will likely become the face of Dan Lanning’s recruiting efforts in the Midwest, a development that couldn’t come at a better time with the team heading to the Big Ten this season.

I have a hard time finding a clear-cut team that’s running second in this recruitment, which could indicate just how much separation the Ducks have created.

S Jonah Williams (Galveston, TX)

I logged my On3 RPM in favor of Oregon on Monday, as the Ducks have solidified themselves as the leaders in this recruitment, even if only slightly. Chris Hampton and company captured the momentum coming out of his official visit and Williams would be a monumental recruiting win on the trail.

He’s the No. 4 prospect in Texas, with the state’s No. 1 recruit Dakorien Moore already in the fold. I’ve been saying for a while that Oregon really needs to grab an elite safety this class and the Ducks could be positioned to land two of their three priority targets at the position (Williams and McNutt) with Faheem Delane already committed to Ohio State.

CB DJ Pickett (Zephyrhills, FL)

It’s pretty crazy to think that Oregon already has a commitment from the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and has a legitimate chance to land the No. 1 cornerback to line up opposite of him in Pickett.

The 6-foot-4, cornerback is set to announce his college commitment on July 17 and will choose from a top three of Oregon, Miami and LSU. Justin put his pick in earlier today and I’m leaning towards logging my pick in the near future.

The combination of Oregon’s on-field product, NFL development, coaching staff and how well they’re managing NIL have created a perfect storm to make it possible for them to pull the No. 1 player out of Florida.

Final Thoughts

This is an insanely talented group of players, and the fact that it just might happen shows not only how far Oregon has come in terms of recruiting, but also just how hot they are on the recruiting trail.

While offseason additions like Jabbar Muhammad, Kam Alexander, Kobe Savage and Brandon Johnson are great, I’d imagine the staff doesn’t want to find themselves turning to the transfer portal to fill out their secondary, particularly at safety. That may be isolated to this offseason, but the sooner the staff can consistently bring in players that play to the level of former Ducks like Jevon Holland, Verone McKinley III and Deommodore Lenoir, the better.

Oregon has already become a consistent destination for elite talent at spots like running back, and defensive line, but the arrow for defensive back recruiting is pointing up in a massive way.

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