Wednesday War Room: 2027 Cycle begins

 

PORTAL NOTES

The Oregon offense has thrived over the past two seasons on the back of transfer offensive tackles like Ajani Cornelius, Alex Harkey, and Isaiah World. When Dan Lanning came to Oregon, he had a vision for how he wanted to build an offensive line, but throwing too many young players into the starting lineup too early was never going to be the answer. The young talent at the time was either not ready for that spotlight, or in some cases, never would be.

It should not be forgotten, however, that Cornelius was a multi-year transfer, and that the interior of the offensive line in 2024 and for roughly two-thirds of 2025 was built with homegrown players like Poncho Laloulu and Dave Iuli. Following the departures of World and Harkey after the 2025 season, the question naturally turned to who would be the bookends for 2026.

There were not a plethora of elite tackles in the transfer portal, and the Ducks have shown that they have some level of confidence in returnees like Gernorris Wilson and Fox Crader, as well as several other tackles we simply have not seen much of yet in their young careers. They have also shown that there is less urgency this off-season to replace interior offensive linemen via the portal.

So as we “watch” from afar the pursuit of offensive tackle Jordan Seaton—and either criticize Oregon for a less aggressive approach or commend the Ducks for being the tortoise in the race for his talent—I think it is fair to step back and look at the bigger picture of what Lanning and his Chief of Staff, Marshall Malchow, are building.

When you talk to enough recruits about culture, there is an underlying key that does not often get discussed directly: the idea that no player is “bigger than” the team. That matters here, because there comes a point when you overpay for a player. Not only does that set a precedent for what future players at the same position will expect, it also begins to erode the culture from within. If a team pays an offensive tackle a ludicrous sum of money (insert whatever number you think qualifies as ludicrous here), and your program’s foundation has been culture, continuity, trust, respect, family, and the belief that there must be equity across the spectrum of players—what happens when you break all of those rules?

A left tackle is a critical piece in protecting the quarterback. They matter—but not more than anyone else on the roster. Their perceived value cannot exceed their actual contribution without creating a disconnect in the locker room. No single player is worth having the cultural foundation of a program compromised.

While Seaton has finished his visit with LSU and could be headed to Miami for his next visit, the idea that Oregon is not “all in” on taking the next step in 2026 simply because it refuses to write a blank check is flawed thinking. Being all in does not mean lighting the foundation of your program on fire for a single-season objective. That is not commitment, it is desperation. It is being all out on the heartbeat of the team in exchange for short-term optics. And if there is one thing we know about Dan Lanning, it is that he is not going to undermine a culture built on trust, equity, and accountability just to win a bidding war for one player. Oregon is building something meant to last, and programs that last do not confuse restraint for weakness.

RECRUITING NOTES

With the second signing period close at hand, I don’t expect Oregon to be very aggressive for any remaining 2026 class needs. They are likely to sign Dayton Raiola, but the Ducks did their heavy lifting during early signing period.

Instead, Oregon has turned their sights toward junior days and upcoming spring visits for the class of 2027. As of now, the Ducks have just one commitment in the next cycle with Alabaster (AL) Thompson defensive lineman Cam Pritchett. In a day where other programs are paying ‘flip’ bonuses to get recruits to flip from schools, it might make some sense to make sure that the early commitments are as solid as possible, to focus on current rather than too far forward from a commitment status while still going all in on recruiting future classes. The relationships that so may athletes talk about Oregon building with them during the recruiting process is important; strengthening relationships ahs been the key on 2027 and beyond players and now the focus will start to zero in on the twenty or so players that Oregon is looking to add to the class in 2027.

The first junior day is set for this week with another one next week and they will be – as always – loaded with elite talent.

For premium recruiting notes follow this link: 

https://open.substack.com/pub/ducksports/p/wednesday-war-room-2027-cycle-picks?r=vtxsn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true