Oregon Ducks recruiting class rises to No. 1 nationally in key stat

There's still months to go before the class of 2026 is officially able to sign National Letters of Intent and join the fold.

So, looking at recruiting classes purely based on "who has the most points" often gives a staggering advantage to whoever has the most verbal commitments.

A better way to evaluate a class months before Signing Day is to blend the traditional rankings and the "average rating per commit" - i.e. what is the average level of talent across each of a school's pledges? 

In the traditional numbers, USC has the No. 1 recruiting class so far this cycle, but the Trojans also boast 31 pledges -  four more than No. 2 Georgia, and at least six more than every other program in the top 13.

The Ducks sit at No. 9 in those rankings, but have just 14 commitments, fewer than half of USC's number. 

Which means that data doesn't tell the whole story. 

On Tuesday, after Oregon secured the commitment of Panther Creek (Texas) elite wide receiver/athlete Jalen Lott, the nation's No. 49 overall prospect, the Ducks class jumped LSU for No. 1 nationally in terms of "average rating per commit" - 93.75 to 93.62.

For perspective, USC sits at a very solid No. 7 (92.08) and Georgia is one spot back (91.82) in those metrics. 

With only 14 commitments, is Oregon's No. 1 rating sustainable as the class grows? 

Maybe.

Oregon has the second-most five-star commitments of any program in the country (3), behind only Alabama (4 or 5 depending on site). 

In terms of that high average rating, Dan Lanning's program is no stranger to being at the top of list.

Last cycle, Oregon finished No. 5 in the traditional rankings with just 19 pledges - six or more pledges fewer than No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Georgia and No. 4 Ohio State -but topped the nation in terms of "average rating per commit."

But what kept the Ducks from claiming the top spot is the smaller number of pledges.

And that's unlikely to change this year.

Under Lanning, Oregon has had major success blending traditional recruiting with transfer portal additions.

Last cycle, the Ducks left themselves wiggle room and signed arguably the nation's No. 1 transfer class, led by offensive tackle Isaiah World (Nevada), safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), running back Mahki Hughes (Tulane), offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon (USC), defensive tackle Bear Alexander (USC), offensive lineman Alex Harkey (Texas State) and several others. 

That's the roadmap for Oregon under Lanning:  Sign a small class of elite prospects then fill in the gaps via extra portal wiggle room.

Oregon's average commit is the highest-rated in the country less than a month after the program was mocked for its recruiting cold streak.

Cue the Dan Lanning cigar GIF - again.