Commit Impact: What Oregon Is Getting in Azel Banag

 

Oregon’s rise as a defensive back destination continues to crystallize, and the latest proof arrives in the form of one of the most intriguing late-blooming prospects in the 2026 cycle: Azel Banag. A versatile, twitchy defensive back with real production and a multi-sport pedigree, Banag becomes the fifth DB to join Oregon’s class—rounding out what is shaping up to be one of the nation’s premier secondary hauls.

And in many ways, he is the perfect capstone.

Banang didn’t enter the recruiting cycle with the spotlight. He opened his senior year committed to Harvard—an indicator not just of academic strength, but of the maturity, drive, and intangibles that often separate future Power Four contributors from merely athletic prospects. But as the season unfolded, so did a profile that became harder and harder for elite programs to ignore.

What Oregon sees in Banang is what his tape can’t hide: a defender with energy, instincts, and disruptive tools that fit beautifully into modern slot-centric, matchup-driven defensive football.

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A Skill Set Tailored for Takeaways and Disruption

Banang’s game starts with twitch and transitions to violence. Whether he’s working downhill in run support or jumping a route with full conviction, he plays like someone who trusts his eyes—and wins because of it.

His soccer background is a major part of the story. Banag is young for his grade but already plays with the tempo, foot coordination, and endurance of someone used to covering ground in constant transition. That shows up in his closing speed, his hip fluidity, and his ability to explode into breaks.

Despite not being the biggest defensive back, Banag compensates with:

• Slick, compact footwork

• Impressive hip turn that allows him to mirror bigger receivers

• Fearless contact balance, especially when triggering downhill

• A rare ability to read and undercut routes

Slot corners in elite defenses must be part-corner, part-linebacker, part-safety. Banag checks all three boxes. He can hang outside when needed, but the ceiling is highest in the slot or as a low safety—roles that ask for spatial awareness, short-area acceleration, and physicality through contact.

That is where he thrives.

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Production You Can Trust

If instincts and tape suggested a breakout, the numbers confirmed it.

Senior Season (2025)

• 72 tackles (3 TFL)

• 12 pass breakups

• 5 interceptions

• 3 forced fumbles

• 3 fumble recoveries

• Offensive impact: 9 catches, 158 yards, 2 TD

• Helped A.C. Flora reach the third round of the South Carolina playoffs

Junior Season (2024)

• 101 tackles

• 10 PBU

• 2 interceptions

• 1 forced fumble

Those are not quiet numbers. They reflect a defender who is consistently around the football, consistently involved in drive-ending plays, and consistently trusted in multiple roles by his coaching staff.

Add in a soccer stat line—7 goals and 6 assists in 8 games—and the athletic profile becomes clear:
Banang is a mover, a creator, and an instinctive athlete with real functional speed.

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A Personal Connection to Eugene

Azel’s recruitment includes a thread that ties neatly back to Oregon’s current staff. His father played DB/LB at South Carolina from 2006–08, overlapping with Oregon defensive backs coach Chris Hampton, who patrolled the secondary for the Gamecocks during that same era.

That kind of connection doesn’t guarantee a commitment, but it does create trust from day one. Hampton has long prioritized athletes who play with feel and urgency. Banag fits that mold perfectly.

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Where He Fits in Oregon’s 2026 Class

Banang becomes the fifth defensive back in what may be the deepest and most balanced DB haul Oregon has assembled in the modern recruiting era:

• 5-star S Jett Washington

• 4-star S Devin Jackson

• 4-star CB Davon Benjamin

• 4-star DB Xavier Lherisse

• 3-star (high-ceiling) DB Azel Banag

Each player brings a different skill set, but Banag’s value lies in his versatility and developmental runway. He is:

• Young for his class

• A polished multi-sport athlete

• A proven ballhawk

• A physical slot defender

• A high-motor competitor with upward trajectory

With Oregon likely done adding high school defensive backs in the 2026 class, Banag represents the final piece—a hybrid defender who gives Chris Hampton positional flexibility and long-term upside.

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Why This Commitment Matters for Oregon

Oregon is not just stacking blue-chip defensive backs. They are building a room—a fully realized, layered secondary with defined roles and overlapping skill sets.

Azel Banag enhances that vision because he offers:

• Takeaway potential: 5 INT, 3 FF, 3 FR in one year

• Run-fit aggression: 170+ tackles in two seasons

• Matchup versatility: perimeter capability with slot-or-safety upside

• Intangibles: late bloomer, multi-sport competitor, academic standout

This is how elite programs maintain elite rosters—not just with stars, but with players who fit the system and raise the competitive floor of the entire position group.

Banag is exactly that kind of addition.

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Final Take

Oregon didn’t just add another defensive back—they added a difference-maker in development, someone whose twitch, instincts, and mindset align perfectly with what Dan Lanning and Chris Hampton ask of their DBs.

Azel Banag is a late bloomer with an early-impact trajectory.

He’s the last DB in Oregon’s 2026 high school class, but he might end up being one of the most important pieces.