Dan Lanning knows the formula to recruit, build programs

Oregon got the last laugh when the top remaining Chess piece in the 2022 cycle came off the board earlier this month, signing Josh Conerly to put a bow on the nation’s No. 19-ranked recruiting haul.

That may have come as a surprise if you paid attention to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, which had Pac-12 rival USC in pole position. Not to those in Eugene, though.

Mario Cristobal was an ace for the Ducks, proving that the Pacific Northwest was an attractive option for not only blue-chip recruits in the part of the country but an appeal from coast to coast. Lanning hasn’t missed a beat since taking over the program.

The recent addition of Conerly put the rest of the conference and other recruiting heavyweights on notice.

“Josh Conerly is a statement win on the recruiting trail for Oregon,” ScoopDuck publisher Justin Hopkins affirmed after Oregon landed the No. 1 player from neighboring Washington. “It’s also a clear sign of Lanning’s abilities on the recruiting trail when it comes to elite national talent.”

“When Mario Cristobal arrived, Ducks fans were really treated to an elite recruiting head coach and repeat top-10 classes,” he continued. “They found good fortune with Lanning. Despite it being his first head coaching opportunity, it’s clear he’s an elite recruiter.”

Recruiting is how coach’s gain an advantage

Those familiar with Lanning’s resume should be accustomed to these sorts of results.

Between 2014 and 2021 at stints at schools ranging from Sam Houston State to Alabama and most recently Georgia, Lanning has been learning alongside coaches like Kirby Smart, Nick Saban, Mario Cristobal and Billy Napier.

As Georgia’s defensive coordinator the past four seasons and now leading the Ducks, Lanning has exercised a similar blueprint to his programs’ advantage.

“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of great head coaches in college football,” Lanning told On3, “but one place you can get a competitive advantage to have the best players is on the recruiting trail. There’s no better way to impact your program and to have great players. Recruiting matters and we put an emphasis on it.”

“Everywhere I’ve been that’s been a winning program recruits at a high level,” Lanning noted. “It starts with the coaching staff recruiting at a high level and the head coach recruiting at a high level.”

Lanning has assembled a like-minded staff in Eugene with coordinators Kenny Dillingham and Tosh Lupoi, who worked with him at Alabama before spending time in the NFL. Other assistants with strong recruiting backgrounds include Adrian Klemm, Junior Adams, Carlos Locklyn and Drew Mehringer.

Oregon’s staff has ties to regions all across the country — from Florida to Texas to Hawaii, from SEC territory to out on the West Coast — and so does Lanning. He provides a jolt of youthfulness and enthusiasm as well, which is leading the Ducks to claim their seat at the table with the other national recruiting forces.

“The buzz around Lanning and his staff at Oregon is very positive with recruits across the country. Simply put — Lanning gets it,” On3 National Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons explained. “He has energy and he knows how to connect with recruits and knows the importance to interact with recruits.”

Ducks flex on Easter Sunday

Oregon made a late splash with the addition of Conerly, a top-50 player on the On3 Consensus, and then wasted no time getting to work on its current class.

Kyler Kasper followed suit with an Easter Sunday pledge to Lanning and the Ducks, edging out Tennessee and Iowa — his father’s alma mater — for the On300 pass-catcher.

Kasper has since reclassified to Oregon’s 2022 class along with Conerly for an astounding 1-2 addition right at the buzzer heading into next season. There could be further ramifications as the 2023 haul begins to take shape.

“I think Oregon is going to build on this,” Simmons teased. “A lot of eyes are on guys like Jayden Wayne and Jaden Rashada, two elite prospects that have high interest in the Ducks.”

Wayne and Rashada are among the notable recruits that Oregon is heavily linked to. Others include Caleb Presley, Jurrion Dickey, Matayo Uiagalelei and Jasiah Wagoner, all players ranked among the On300 nationally.

Lanning’s breath of honesty and more so realness in college football recruiting has translated quite effectively.

“If a player is going to come here then I want to have a relationship with him, and that’s important to me,” Lanning said. “I believe in being open and genuine with people, with parents, and ultimately when they send their son somewhere they want to know they’re gonna connect with the people there and it’s not just another recruiting pitch.”

“People recognize real and they recognize recruiting pitches, too,” Lanning continued. “I’ve been fortunate to hire great coaches who work hard recruiting. The No. 1 thing is to hire people who form relationships and develop players. I’m trying to do the same thing with the people we recruit — have great relationships and be able to build on that. Sometimes it’s exactly what people want to hear and sometimes it isn’t. Fortunately enough, in the long run, it’s paid off.”