Oregon HC Dan Lanning talks recruiting dominance, NIL impact

All eyes are on Oregon as the Ducks once again look to break through and capture that elusive first national championship.

Head coach Dan Lanning is entering year three at the helm after logging a 12-2 campaign last year. The Ducks are one of the new faces in the Big Ten, but thanks to some elite recruiting at the high school ranks and in the Transfer Portal, everyone is fully aware of what’s being brought to the table in Eugene.

Not only did Oregon sign the No. 3 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings last cycle, but it also collected an impressive 14-man haul in the portal. Cleveland.com’s 2024 Big Ten media poll tabbed Lanning’s program to finish second earlier this week.

“Seeing this team come together. Every team is unique, it has a DNA in itself and certainly some of the traits that are important to us have to shine through, but these guys have to become teammates really quick. I think we have some really good key ingredients for that,” Lanning told On3’s Steve Wiltfong on Thursday at Big Ten Media Days.

Lanning staying relentless on the recruiting trail

Oregon is pushing for another top-five class this cycle, as it already has a pair of five-star commitments and is in the mix for plenty of the top uncommitted prospects in the nation. Landing elite talent is always a challenge, but things are getting easier in Eugene as the results are starting to do most of the talking.

“Trying to be relentless in every area. I think everything matters right now, whether it’s your evaluation process, the way you connect, the relationships that you work to build. Just the persistency that it takes in recruiting now and that relationship building,” he said. “Then proof in the pudding, for the first time we’re kind of able to point back to some of the players that we’ve had now at Oregon and say ‘see what they did?’ Do you want to recreate that?'”

Having previously worked under the likes of Nick Saban and Kirby Smart, Lanning has seen first-hand what goes into building a juggernaut program. There’s a level of persistency that must be matched on a daily basis to get to the top of the mountain. That helps with recruiting, too, as Lanning is only after the best of the best and is focused on finding the right fits for his team.

“I think that’s one of the most important things we have to do, is being picky. Making sure you don’t lower the standard of performance and play and the character that you bring into your place. You want to sign guys that have enough talent, I think that matters,” Lanning said. “Coach Saban always said ‘we can sign as many first-round picks as we want’ and in the NFL you get one. We want to go find the best players we can find, but we also want to be able to cross guys off a list, even if we put a lot of work into them, once we realize they’re not a fit for us.”

“It doesn’t matter where somebody is located, if they’re the best fit — we always talk about best, not most convenient,” he said. “Oregon isn’t necessarily the most convenient place to get to, but if we’re the best at developing that position, the best at playing that position, then we want to make sure that we go get the best players.”

The impact of NIL at Oregon

Plenty has been made about Oregon and its use of NIL as of late. Nike co-founder Phil Knight helped launch Divison Street, the Ducks’ NIL collective, leading to a slew of headlines.

Lanning is fully aware of the power that NIL now carries in the college football landscape, but he also knows that dollar bills don’t always equate to wins on the field. While Oregon may be excelling in that space, Lanning is remaining focused on what kind of players he’s bringing into his program more than anything.

“I would start with saying what team in the top 10 isn’t powerful in that (NIL) space? I think that you have to be able to operate in that category right now,” he said. “But more importantly, you still have to evaluate the player, still have to build that relationship, you have to deep dive in the circle around that player and find out, do they really love football? What makes them tick? Why are they choosing your school and what would make that a special place for them?”

Dominating QB recruiting in the portal

Perhaps the biggest success the Ducks have had under Lanning is excelling at recruiting quarterbacks in the Transfer Portal. After seeing Bo Nix excel in his two seasons, Oregon managed to nab not one, but two of the top QBs on the market this offseason in Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore.

Oregon’s offense intrigues top talent, plain and simple. The proof is indeed in the pudding as the Ducks now find themselves set under center once again as they push for a College Football Playoff berth this season.

“Bo is a big piece of that, he came here and had a lot of success. We’ve been able to do really well on offense, and now like I said before, you can point to his success and what that’s looked like, what quarterbacks have done in our system,” Lanning said. “Dillon, obviously very unique being from Hawaii, seeing Marcus Mariota grow up, being a part of that. Our recruitment of Dante, having a great relationship with him, and even though he didn’t choose us on Signing Day, recognizing that this is the place that he ultimately wanted to be.”