2026 Priority Linebacker Targets end up in the SEC

While both Travis and I had predicted Tyler Atkinson and Nick Abrams II wouldn’t be choosing Oregon, it still was a bummer to hear them go elsewhere. Tyler Atkinson opted to commit first to Texas, a battle where the Ducks finished third. Nick Abrams on the other hand, chose Atkinson’s long time leader, and runner-up in his recruitment, Georgia. The Ducks finished second in the Abrams II sweepstakes, and distance really complicated things for Oregon. I think it’s astonishing how Atkinson visited Athens 18 times before his commitment and is a Georgia native, but ends up elsewhere. 

Dual Recruiting Interview Week

I posted two interviews this week, one coming from 2026 4-Star WR commit Messiah Hampton, who broke down what went into his commitment and his play style. The second interview was for former 2027 4-Star EDGE Prince Tavizon, who broke down his incredibly difficult decision to reclass to 2026. Tavizon gave me a breakdown on how his verbal commitment is still locked in, and hasn’t faltered, but he will be visiting other schools in the fall. There is a lot more context than can be added in here that you’ll miss if you haven’t ready these. They are linked in the next sentence on the player’s names. Messiah Hampton interview, Prince Tavizon interview.

Update on Oregon staff and Recruiting

At this point of the summer, most of Oregon’s staff is on vacation, or taking time with family, before Fall Camp kicks into gear at the end of July. Oregon is expecting recruiting to pick up for a bit around the end of July, into early August, before cooling back off again. The Ducks will look to flip some players in the fall, as they always do under Head Coach Dan Lanning. The staff knows what they’re doing and is maneuvering this cycle very well.