Oregon has won some massive recruiting battles during Dan Lanning‘s tenure, including a few in the 2026 class. But it’d be hard to argue many were bigger than landing five-star edge rusher Anthony Jones over both Texas A&M and Alabama on Thursday.
The St. Paul’s Episcopal (Ala.) product was considered a longtime lean to the in-state Crimson Tide, and even named them as his No. 1 school in the past few weeks. But behind the scenes, Dan Lanning and Co. continued to push the right buttons. The distance from Alabama all the way up to Eugene ultimately didn’t deter him from committing to the Ducks.
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He has a strong relationship with Oregon’s coaching staff, led by Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, his primary recruiter. But the Ducks were also very competitive when it came to the NIL/revenue-sharing offer they made to Jones, too.
“Certainly, you don’t win this kind of recruiting battle without being heavily armed on the NIL front,” Rivals VP of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong said on Friday. “I think Anthony ‘Tank’ Jones is someone that is getting a deal worth over $1 million for his first season. Oregon, Texas A&M and Alabama all battled on that front. And then where Oregon is at as a program. He said, ‘I think we can get Oregon closer to that first national championship that they covet.”
Oregon has known be one of the premier spenders in college football since the advent of the NIL era, both in the transfer portal and in high school recruiting. But their money is not limitless, especially in the new revenue-sharing era. Earlier this spring, they bowed out of the race for Five-Star Plus+ OT Jackson Cantwell, who is reportedly set to receive in the $2.5 million range from Miami.
The Ducks were a top school and at one time predicted to land Cantwell before the Hurricanes made their final push and got him in the boat in May. Among other top recruits, USC tight end commit Mark Bowman is reportedly set to receive $5 and $6.5 million over three years, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
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Mirroring the NFL, quarterbacks, offensive tackles and pass-rushers are premium positions on recruiting. Five-star passers Faizon Brandon, Ryder Lyons and Jared Curtis are set receive between $750K and $1.5 million, per Nakos’ reporting.
Jones give the Ducks another elite prospect to build around
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Jones is the No. 22 overall prospect in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the nation’s No. 4 edge rusher and the No. 2 recruit in the Yellowhammer State.
With him in the fold, Oregon now has four five-star commitments and seven commits ranked in the top-100 nationally.
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As a junior, Jones recorded 84 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks.
He is also a standout on the track, winning the Alabama 6A discus state championship as a junior with a toss of 161 feet, 5 inches. In the shot put, he threw 56 feet, 3.75 inches to take home silver.
