When it comes to recruitment, there are very few powerhouses that can even come close to the Oregon Ducks’ aggressive talent catcher, Dan Lanning. They have been a menacing threat to the competitors for the last three years, earning three straight top-10 classes and two straight top-five classes. Heading to another blockbuster year, 2026, Lanning is striving for the best of the best again. According to On3, the Oregon Ducks now hold the nation’s top recruiting class for 2026, grabbing ten solid commitments: one from five stars, seven from four stars, and two from three stars. It’s just another shoutout to the culture he is building at Eugene with his strict roster-building ethics and vision. Guess who’s the highest rated, an ultimate flex for coach Lanning, among all of them?

Yes, the star in question is none other than five-star tight-end commit Kendre Harrison. The kid hailing from Reedsville, North Carolina, is a true asset in Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s No. 1 ranked class, as he boasts the lone 5-star (on ESPN, Rivals) commit while seven of the Ducks’ 10 commits hold a 4-star. He verbally committed to Oregon on Saturday, picking up the Ducks over a lot of options on his table, including North Carolina, Miami, and Penn State. However, he is still not a lock for the Ducks, as a simple wrong step can leave the Oregon head coach in deep water amidst a high-octane competition among the schools.

But it seems a wise recruiter like Lanning is unlikely to leave any stone unturned to make the North Carolina product a real deal. The latest intel from ON3 reads, ”Oregon Ducks fans, you have the top recruit at this position coming to Eugene. He is a mismatch nightmare on offense because of his 6’6 frame. His elite athletic ability and BigTime speed, he is America’s No. one ranked tight end. He is also a major recruit on the Hardwood as well. A true two-sport star, he is from Reedsville, North Carolina, but he’s heading all the way across the country to join Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks.”

The report also added a reality check for Lanning, dishing an alert of his ongoing competition before the final call of the 17-year-old. It’s not going to be an easy ride as teams like Georgia, Alabama, and Bill Belichick’s UNC are going all in, swaying the two-sport star from the Ducks.

I mean, why not! He is, after all, worth every bit of effort. The standout tight end and the defensive end caught 17 passes for 263 yards and five touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, he had 92 tackles (24 for loss), 16 quarterback hurries, nine sacks, and three pass breakups while also blocking two punts. But even though he is catching eyeballs, his why behind an Oregon commitment is stronger than any other swooping attempt.

The unique blending of a dynamic coaching staff, top-tier facilities, and a proven track record makes Oregon an appealing destination among the recruits. But for Harrison, the reason stretches a bit deeper.

Kendre Harrison loved the humanity Oregon staff showed during his recruitment process 

The Ducks still hang in the balance regarding five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, as he is still keeping them as one of his six finalist schools despite naming coach Lanning as his favorite. But even if they lose him, Kendre Harrison can come off as a real wound healer, as they can contribute to the basketball team as well.

“I picked Oregon because I love Dan Lanning, I love Coach Smith, Coach Drew, and I love all the coaches. Plus they’re the number one team in the country—it’s hard to beat that.” Harrison said, “When you have a school that goes out of their way to recruit you, and it’s on the other side of the world, it just shows you how much they really love you.”

Harrison said he didn’t put the athletic ambitions and all other criteria (that another team can live up to) as the No. 1 reason why he chose Oregon. Rather. It’s how Oregon’s coaching staff offered him a shoulder and showed genuine care and empathy to him and his family when he was going through a personal upheaval due to his grandmother’s deteriorating health during his junior season.

“When I was going through all that stuff with my grandma, they were the only school to call me every day and check on me and my family, man,” Harrison said. “My mom doesn’t even watch football, but I walked into the living room last weekend, and she was sitting on the couch watching Oregon vs. Wisconsin on the TV, and that’s when I knew that’s where I wanted to go and where I want to be.”

It remains to be seen how Coach Lanning and the staff can get the half-done job done, keeping him on the recruits’ list until the end of a multi-team battle.