Along with the victory that Oregon football hopes to bring home against Arizona State University this Saturday, head coach Dan Lanning looks to win over more commitments from prospective Arizona-based recruits.

Arizona is among the selective recruitment states, outside of California and Texas, that Lanning has targeted since arriving in Eugene in 2021. So far this season, Oregon has landed three Arizona natives on its 2024 roster and one early signee to its 2026 class.

On Oct. 30, Lanning secured the second-best edge rusher in the entire country, Elijah Rushing. A 6-foot-5, 235-pound powerhouse, Rushing has established himself on the Tucson, Ariz., turf with his agility, length, frame and NFL potential. His quick first step will match the speed and skill of current UO freshman Matayo Uiagalelei, a defensive end who Rushing could play next to. The duo will likely become a formidable pair, prohibiting opponents from passing through the Ducks’ defense. The blue-chip defender is now the second 5-star recruit in the Oregon 2024 class after defensive tackle Aydin Breland committed earlier this month.

Both Rushing and incoming freshman Jaxson Jones will look to develop under the D1 expertise of defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. Jones, who is also an edge rusher, joins the Ducks after many years of stardom in Yuma, Ariz. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, the 3-star commit dominated for the Yuma Catholic High School defense throughout 2022, tallying 17 sacks and 22 tackles for loss.

While Lupoi found strong players to support Oregon’s defense, offensive coordinator Will Stein sought out southwestern stars to shine on the attack.

Stein recruited Luke Moga from Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Ariz. The 6-foot-2, 190 pound quarterback was recently named the San Tan Regional Player of the Year. Moga led his team to a perfect 5-0 run through the San Tan league this season. He threw for 1,883 yards and 23 touchdowns against 5 interceptions. The future Oregon signal caller threw up the “O” next to Marcus Mariota in the Autzen endzone during last Saturday’s ranked matchup between the Ducks and the University of Southern California.

Cooper Perry, a 4-star wide receiver from Notre Dame Preparatory, retweeted the photo of Moga and Mariota on X. Perry was also present on the Oregon sidelines this past weekend for his second visit of the year. He is the No. 1 rated prospect in the Grand Canyon State for the 2025 class. The dynamic receiver has yet to sign with the Ducks, however, as he has extended offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State, UCLA, Utah and Arizona State among many others.

Looking down the recruitment road even further, Oregon confirmed a verbal commitment for the 2026 class in No. 1 defensive lineman Tony Cumberland. Cumberland is a 6-foot-5, 265-pound tank who fell in love with the Autzen atmosphere during the UO vs. Colorado game this past September. Given his grades, Cumberland told Ducks Digest he might attempt to re-classify up to 2025 and kick-start his college career early.

Many Arizonans are eager to migrate to Eugene, while some are already playing in the Pacific Northwest. The 2023 class was the first full recruitment cycle during Lanning’s time at UO, and he quickly made Arizona a top priority on his recruiting trail. Last season, the Ducks signed three southwest desert players: My’Keil Gardner, A’Mauri Washington and Cole Martin. 

So far this season, Gardner, a defensive lineman from Peoria, Ariz., recorded one tackle during the Ducks’ first game of the fall season versus Portland State University. Meanwhile, Washington, another defensive lineman, has played in six games, yet he’s also just contributed one tackle — in the Sept. 30 contest against Stanford University. Martin, a fellow freshman defensive tackle from Chandler, Ariz., has 13 total tackles — four of which came during the Ducks’ game against Hawaii on Sept. 16. 

The statistics are somewhat small for the first-year Ducks — however, Lanning is betting on their success in the long run. Even though it’s only his second year, he has already established his commitment to Eugene and his engaged presence among Arizona-based recruits. Oregon’s investment in young Arizonans could reap long-term rewards for the Ducks. But first, Lanning must prove to prospective players that Oregon can dominate on the field in the desert.