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Oregon Ducks Recruiting Outlook After Losing Julian Caldwell to Texas Tech

The Oregon Ducks lost out on the commitment of four-star wide receiver recruit Julian Caldwell to the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Charlie Viehl|
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire walks the field during spring football practice, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the Womble Football Center.
Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire walks the field during spring football practice, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the Womble Football Center. | Nathan Giese/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon DucksTexas Tech Red RaidersTexas Longhorns

Four-star wide receiver recruit Julian Caldwell committed to the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, May 9, revealing his decision on the Rivals YouTube channel. Caldwell chose Texas Tech over his other two finalists: the Oregon Ducks and Texas Longhorns.

Pulling Caldwell out of his home state of Texas proved to be too difficult for Oregon, despite the Ducks' recent success in recruiting the Lone Star State.

oregon ducks wide receiver recruiting julian caldwell texas longhorns texas tech red raiders dakota guerrant
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning watches as Indiana scores as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With Caldwell seemingly off the board after his commitment to the Red Raiders, where will Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff turn for wide receiver recruits in the class of 2027. The Ducks currently do not have a wide receiver committed after signing three players at the position in the 2026 class: Jalen Lott, Messiah Hampton, and Hudson Lewis.

Other Wide Receiver Recruits on Oregon's Board

Caldwell previously had a visit scheduled to Oregon, but with his commitment to Texas Tech, the likelihood of that trip taking place has decreased dramatically.

The biggest wide receiver target on Oregon's recruiting board is likely five-star prospect Dakota Guerrant out of Harper Woods, Michigan.

Additionally, Ducks wide receivers coach Ross Douglas recently visited four-star receiver recruit Blake Wong, and the program is also involved in the recruitments of other receivers like four-star receiver Julius Jones and four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr.

oregon ducks wide receiver recruiting julian caldwell texas longhorns texas tech red raiders dakota guerrant
Combat Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore makes a catch for a touchdown during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon has been known to land high-profile quarterbacks in the transfer portal, but the Ducks have also found receiver transfers that make an immediate impact, like former Oregon stars Tez Johnson and Malik Benson. For 2026, Oregon landed former UAB receiver Iverson Hooks out of the transfer portal, bolstering a receiving corps that is expected to be highlighted by Evan Stewart, Dakorien Moore, and Jeremiah McClellan.

Oregon Ducks Recruiting Class of 2027

Lanning and company currently hold 12 commitments in the class of 2027 with plenty of time remaining until the early signing period opens on Dec. 4. As it currently stands, Oregon's recruiting class is ranked No. 7 in the nation by Rivals.

The Ducks hold a commitment from four-star quarterback Will Mencl, but they currently do not have any wide receivers in the fold for the class of 2027. In fact, only four of the Ducks' 12 commits play on the offensive side of the ball.

oregon ducks wide receiver recruiting julian caldwell texas longhorns texas tech red raiders dakota guerrant
Chandler Wolves quarterback Will Mencl sits with his teammates during the high school football Championships Media Day at the Arizona Interscholastic Association office in Phoenix on Dec. 1, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Here are all 12 of Oregon's current commitments:

  • Semaj Stanford, four-star safety
  • Rashad Streets, four-star edge
  • Will Mencl, four-star quarterback
  • Zane Rowe, four-star defensive lineman
  • Ai'king Hall, four-star cornerback
  • Cameron Pritchett, four-star edge
  • Josiah Molden, four-star cornerback
  • CaDarius McMiller, four-star running back
  • Gus Corsair, four-star offensive lineman
  • Avery Michael, three-star offensive tackle
  • Brandon Lockley, three-star linebacker
  • Sam Ngata, three-star linebacker

The No. 4 USC Trojans and No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes are the only two Big Ten teams with higher-ranked recruiting classes, per Rivals, but the No. 12 UCLA Bruins have some momentum on the recruiting trail as newly hired coach Bob Chesney has landed nine commitments in the month of May alone.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.

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