Dan Lanning’s goal to win the national championship at Oregon came up two games short last season, but the Ducks are keeping high hopes for 2026. Amid a busy offseason full of roster overhaul, the Ducks fear a potential recruitment blow.
Drew Fielder’s USC Visit Threatens Dan Lanning’s Oregon Recruiting Class
The USC Trojans’ spring practices are currently underway and have already drawn interest from several elite recruits. One interesting visitor to Lincoln Riley’s program during this period was Oregon commit Drew Fielder. The Trojans earned the attention of the four-star offensive tackle after extending him a scholarship offer in late February.
“The USC offer was big for me, and I had a great visit today,” Fielder told Rivals’ Greg Biggins. “It felt like they went above and beyond with me. I had some great conversations with the coaching staff, was able to watch practice, and then went over to the Coliseum, so it was a great experience for sure.”
Fielder has been committed to Oregon since Feb. 1 after taking a trip to Eugene, but holding onto him until National Signing Day could be challenging. The offensive tackle attends Servite High School in Anaheim, and USC could leverage its proximity to sway him.
Fielder also told Biggins that he grew up attending USC games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. There’s another factor in play as well. Biggins noted that while Oregon has done everything right in its recruitment, Fielder’s father, grandfather, and great uncle all played for or attended USC, making the Trojans his childhood favorite. With all these factors in the Trojans’ favor, Fielder didn’t rule out the possibility of flipping to Riley’s program.
“I’m committed to Oregon, but I have to consider USC as a real option too, and that’s where things sit,” Fielder told Biggins.
Fielder was once rated as a three-star prospect but has steadily climbed the recruiting rankings and is now considered a four-star talent. He is currently ranked as the No. 81 prospect in the country, No. 9 in the state of California, and No. 10 offensive tackle in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports.
Losing Fielder would be a significant blow for Lanning, as he is projected to be a valuable addition for the Oregon offense, which ranked No. 13 nationally last season in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric with an 84.6 score.
Meanwhile, Oregon has also been dealing with other recruitment challenges. Their running back commit, CaDarius McMiller, visited Mike Elko’s Texas A&M to start his weekend. He is ranked as the No. 218 prospect in the country, No. 35 in the state of Texas, and No. 10 running back, according to 247Sports.
Oregon has five committed players in the 2027 class, ranking in the top 15 nationally. The Ducks have already lost one commitment in the cycle, as four-star wide receiver Kesean Bowman backed off his pledge. His most recent top five schools include Tennessee, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami, and Vanderbilt.
