The NIL, the constant urge to be better than each other, and the subtle threat of poaching and manipulating players out of the program are making things a chaotic mess in college football. But amidst all the odds. But it seems the recent activities of the four-star prospect cornerback are raising concern. By the end of National Signing Day, the Ducks grabbed an overall second rank in the nation for the 2025 recruiting class, according to On3. Oregon also set a school record for the most 5-star recruits in a single class and achieved the highest “rating per commit” of any program in the country. However, Dan Lanning’s aggressive streak seems to take a stall as the top CB target calls for doubt over his recent activities.

Cornerback Dorian Barney’s recruitment process has been a thrilling daily soap opera episode so far. He first committed to Alabama on May 19, looking past schools like Michigan, Texas, Tennessee, Oregon, and Georgia Tech. But calling it a brief stance would still be an understatement. Now, as he is ready to take things to the next level in his career, Oregon heats up its relentless pursuit game. He received an offer from the Ducks around March of last year. But it seems Lanning’s elite strategy is falling down this time. The Carrollton High School kid narrowed down a list of 50 scholarship offers to a dozen over the weekend, and Marcus Freeman clearly has an edge.

Irish head coach Marcus Freeman is the main source of contact in South Bend and is the first and foremost reason Barney kept Notre Dame as one of the pivotal in his list. “Really just the relationship I have with Coach Freeman,” Barney says. “He was texting me during the season, during his season. And he had a long season; he went to the national championship. He could be doing anything else. He’s the head coach.

“It’s really just the relationships I grew over time with them from my process, from my whole journey,” the 2026 Georgia cornerback reflects on the deciding factor of his final list. “I’ve visited the majority of those schools, and I’m looking forward to getting down to the ones that I haven’t visited yet.”

He plans visits to a bunch of schools, including Texas A&M, Penn State, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Colorado, Michigan, Miami, North Carolina, Oregon, and Notre Dame. He has already visited the first seven schools once and plans to schedule the next sometime around March or April. After that, he will cut down the final five schools and pay a visit to each. “That’d be the plan,” he says.

However, Barney didn’t sleep at the Ducks, but their chance is still hanging in the balance. The four-star in-state cornerback isn’t the only one who keeps Dan Lanning on his toes, nonetheless.

Dan Lanning still in doubt regarding Jared Kurtis’ potential commitment

Oregon hasn’t seen a lot of recruiting success in the state of Georgia so far. But if they can swoop Barney in, the card will be flipped. The Georgia CB is yet to make a visit to Eugene. Currently, he is down to Miami for March 3. In case Oregon misses out on him, it will be a possible double blow under Lanning’s 2026 belt, as he is still not sure about the top QB target, Jared Curtis.

So, it’s safe to say there is still some silver lining for Lanning. But the veteran head coach again finds himself at a crossroads between a harsh recruiting battle, just the way he faced regarding Jared Kurtis. 2026 No. 1 QB keeps Kirby Smart and Lanning on a parallel before making the final call.

Oregon’s coach, Dan Lanning, and offensive coordinator, Will Stein, have been pursuing Curtis for a while now.
”Me and Coach Stein’s relationship is really good… I think they showcased their talents this year and shown teams what they can be. They just go out and fight.” Kurtis made his feelings known about the Ducks.

However, he also mentioned that his relationships with Georgia, Kirby Smart, and Mike Bobo have significantly developed ever since he decommitted from the school, and he has yet to make up his mind between Georgia and Oregon. It will be interesting to see if a June visit will take things in the Ducks and coach Lanning’s favor or not.