Oregon Ducks appointed Dan Lanning as head coach in December 2021. Naturally, the hype wasn’t much to begin with, considering he had no experience in the job but had a reputation as one of the great defensive coaches. However, when Lanning started to deliver, it was nothing Oregon had seen previously. Cut short to 2024; the team finished ranked 1, qualifying for playoffs (the first time in their history), and remained undefeated throughout the regular season.

They demolished powerhouses like Ohio State in a 32-31 thriller, Michigan on the road by 38-17, and Penn State in the Big 10 Championship game by 45-37. The team appeared nearly unbeatable and was anticipated to dominate their way to their first national title in the playoff era. But, after earning a bye week and reaching the quarterfinal against Ohio State. They came up short on their game and were knocked out. However, the setback can be blamed on their one bad day in the office rather than their overall shortcomings. Nevertheless, Lanning is now pulling all strings to make up for it. And here’s how.

Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class is ranked 4th nationally and 1st in the Big 10. They have raked up some world-class talents in 5-Star Trey McNutt (safety), who is ranked second nationally in his position. Among other 4-star Blue Chip prospects are Dorian Brew (CB), Ziyare Addison (OT), and Douglas Utu (IOL). But most of all, Ryder Lyons, a 5-star QB prospect in their 2026 class, was touted to be their crown jewel and was destined for Eugene. Until another Big 10 college poached him away.

As per On3, the highly touted QB who was previously destined for Eugene has changed his destination to Lincoln Riley’s camp at USC Trojans. Currently, the team is being listed with a chance of 97.8% to land him, and Oregon, on the other hand, a minuscule less than 1%. So, is it now a done deal? Well, the SMI College Football Show’s host provided the update. “No other team is given a greater than 1% chance of receiving his commitment. So basically, it’s the Trojans, and it is just a miracle change for one of these other programs. Looks like USC is going to get a generational quarterback talent once again in Ryder Lyons for the 2026 class.” Well, all the signs point towards the commitment becoming a done deal in the future. But is it actually a loss for Oregon?

Well, the answer can be quite complex since they do have a QB1 problem at their hands right now. While Dante Moore will be more than likely to step into Dillon Gabriel’s shoes. Still, Moore is far from the product that Gabriel was. Furthermore, they also will need a solid backup QB for the future since, in the NIL era, anything can happen. Nevertheless, it will surely be a loss to lose a QB in Ryder Lyons, who is just very talented and undoubtedly a generational talent. And here’s why.

Ryder Lyons a generational talent?

First and foremost, the five-star quarterback came inches closer to signing for Oregon. He even said it openly in a recent statement. “I think I’ve been there (Oregon) four times. They have been with me the longest; they were like my third scholarship. Coach (Will) Stein has been recruiting me the longest, I think, so we have a great relationship.” Furthermore, he even speculated on the prospect of a team built around him since he knew the kind of talent he possessed. Don’t believe it? Well, hear this…

He is a student at Folsom High School in California and had led his team in his junior year to a 12-2 finish with a California Division 1 AA Regional final appearance. His stats are also phenomenal, as he passed for more than 3,000 yards and had a completion rate of 68.1%, along with scoring 46 touchdowns. His rushing prowess is also quite remarkable, as he also ran almost 600 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. All this points out to only one thing. Oregon and Coach Lanning will have their work cut out after his sure commitment to the Trojans.