Touted 2026 RB Tradarian Ball commits to Oregon

Texarkana (Texas) Texas High On300 running back Tradarian Ball committed to Oregon on Saturday during his visit to Eugene for Saturday Night Live.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Ball becomes commit No. 2 for head coach Dan Lanning and his staff in the 2026 cycle. The On3 Industry ranks him as the nation’s No. 5 running back and No. 55 prospect overall.

“Just the excitement about the school,” Ball said. “Coach Lanning is a great head coach. He’s a great coach all-around.”

Future position coach Ra’Shaad Samples was the lead recruiter for the Ducks.

“Coach Samples has been recruiting me hard and it’s just a brotherhood between me and him,” Ball said.

The four-star Ball chose the Ducks over an offer list that also included Texas, Oklahoma, Michigan, USC, Florida State, Ole Miss, Miami, Penn State, Baylor, TCU and Texas A&M. He loves where Oregon’s program is at among the country’s elites.

“I’m ready to bring that National Championship to Eugene,” he said.

One of the most sought-after prospects in the 2026 class, Ball didn’t take lightly what committing early means.

“I talked to my family about it they agreed with it,” Ball said. “I talked to my coaches and (former Oregon standout running back and Texarkana native) LaMichael James was a huge impact in this too. So I put a lot of trust in the coaches there and I’m ready to be a Duck.

As a sophomore Ball ran for 1,225 yards and 12 touchdowns with another 400 yards receiving and six more scores. He had nearly 1,000 yards of total offense as a freshman with 13 touchdowns rushing and receiving combined.