It’s National Early Signing Day and the Ducks are set to make a splash in the recruiting pond! Follow along here for the latest updates on Oregon’s future on the defensive side! Be sure to also check out our offensive tracker!

Na’Eem Offord — 5★ Cornerback, Parker High School (Birmingham, AL)

Offord’s recruitment finally ended with a back-and-forth hat swap. The nation’s No. 2 cornerback, according to 247Sports, eventually picked Oregon over Ohio State and Auburn. He had been verbally committed to the Buckeyes, but opened up his recruitment following visits to Eugene and Auburn.

Offord racked up 17 tackles, four PBUs and five interceptions in 2023. He checks in at 6’1 and 185 pounds, and joins a talented room losing multiple starters at the position. Transfer corner Jabbar Muhammad is expected to declare for the draft alongside fellow seniors Dontae Manning, Brandon Johnson, Tysheem Johnson and Nikko Reed.

Brandon Finney Jr. — 5★ Cornerback, McDonogh HS (Owings Mills, MD)

Finney’s signing was a huge one for the Ducks. Lanning’s defense. Oregon landed the highest-ranked player in the state of Maryland and the No. 5-ranked cornerback in the nation according to 247Sports. 

Perhaps the latest Travis Hunter, Finney recorded three interceptions and four touchdown receptions in 2023 while pulling in 632 receiving yards. The six-foot-two, 185-pound weapon could end up benefiting the Ducks on both sides of the ball should he choose to do so. 

An athlete of Finney’s caliber is often a two-sport guy, so, unsurprisingly, Finney ran track and field in high school. He won the Maryland A 110-meter hurdles title (14.96) as a sophomore and ran season-best times of 10.85 in the 100 and 21.84 in the 200 in his junior year. 

All the top dogs in the Big Ten were after Finney this year, including Ohio State and Penn State, but Finney will go coast to coast to play for the Ducks. 

Trey McNutt. — 4★ Safety, Shaker Heights HS (Cleveland, OH) 

While McNutt is only a four-star according to 247Sports, his five-star rating of 0.9860 on 247Sports Composite speaks to why he was one of Oregon’s most significant summer commitments. 247Sports Composite ranks McNutt as the nation’s No. 2 safety (No. 28 overall) and Ohio’s No. 2 overall player.

McNutt combines track speed (10.82s 100m and 21.77s 200m as a sophomore) with good tackling and excellent positional versatility, giving him the ability to play far beyond his more standard six-foot, 180-pound frame.

McNutt’s athleticism has been on full display at Shaker Heights. As a junior he combined a defensive campaign of 66 tackles, 12 pass breakups and three forced fumbles with an offensive tally of 611 receiving yards and 12 offensive touchdowns. He’s coming to Oregon as a safety, but he’ll be a threat to return any passes he intercepts.

Nasir Wyatt – 4★ Outside Linebacker, Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, CA)

Pass-rush specialist Nasir Wyatt, who verbally committed back in May, has officially signed with the Oregon Ducks. Wyatt, a four-star outside linebacker from the legendary Mater Dei High School, is ranked the nation’s No. 21 overall linebacker and the No. 18 player in California.

Though Wyatt (6’2, 220 pounds) is somewhat undersized for the position, he uses his exceptional acceleration, bend and closing speed to make life miserable for opposing passers. He was named Defensive MVP of the highly competitive Trinity League athletic conference for the second straight year in 2023, a season in which he recorded 41 tackles, 21 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Dominant Oregon pass rushers like Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jordan Burch and Matayo Uiagalelei have typically succeeded as a result of their pure size and strength. Wyatt’s speed and aggressive style of play should give the Ducks’ defense a new kind of weapon with which to attack opposing offenses.

Dorian Brew – 4★ Cornerback, Conroe HS (Conroe, TX)

Another addition to an ever-talented defense, cornerback Dorian Brew has signed to join Dan Lanning’s Ducks. Brew, the No. 58 player nationally, is the No.8 player at the cornerback position overall. The six-foot, 200 pound, Brew committed to the Ducks in late June is Oregon’s highest-ranked four-star prospect in the class. 

Brew (whose parents were both track athletes and added a 10.75 100 meter dash while running track in high school) will be joining a speedster-rich Oregon secondary that includes Roderick Pleasant, who is currently on the Oregon T&F team. 

Matthew Johnson – 4★ Defensive Lineman, De La Salle HS (Concord, CA)

Standing an imposing six-foot-five and 265 pounds, Matthew Johnson is an ominous presence on the defensive line. Through 12 games as a senior at Concord’s legendary De La Salle High School, Johnson has tallied 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Johnson’s size and elite athleticism give him positional versatility reminiscent of current Ducks star Jordan Burch. He’s capable of lining up anywhere from defensive tackle to edge rusher and will likely see playing time in both.

247Sports currently ranks Johnson the nation’s No. 210 overall player. Johnson is rated the nation’s No. 25 defensive lineman and the No. 20 player in California. Johnson committed to the Ducks in February and made an official visit for Oregon’s recent thrashing of Washington.

Tobi Haastrup – 4★ Defensive Lineman, Mayde Creek HS (Houston, TX)

Originally from London, Haastrup didn’t play football until his senior year of high school, but he has earned a four-star rating (0.9104) from 247Sports Composite. Johnson is currently ranked the nation’s No. 27 edge rusher and No. 270 overall player (No. 37 in Texas).

At six-foot-four and 230 pounds, Haastrup physically resembles a true edge rusher. However, Haastrup’s most notable trait is his blinding speed. A former soccer and track star, Haastrup clocked 10.93 seconds and 21.89 seconds in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints respectively, both wickedly fast times for someone his size.

Haastrup took November visits to Texas Tech, USC and Michigan before visiting Eugene for last weekend’s win over Washington. Early Wednesday afternoon, Haastrup became the latest in a string of Oregon signings along the defensive line.

Gavin Nix, 4★ Linebacker, IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)

Many didn’t expect Nix’s allegiances to change given his July 1 commitment to the Miami Hurricanes, but Lanning and his excellent staff were able to pry him away from his hometown team. Nix received his first starting snaps on IMG’s top team in his sophomore season, which is an incredible feat given the talent he had to compete with. 

Nix held his own as well, recording 42 tackles (seven for loss), five Quarterback hits and a sack during his junior season at IMG. Nix is a battle-tested linebacker with elite IQ, and many scouts have been impressed by his maturity at his young age, which is largely due to IMG’s national schedule. Nix is the 24th best linebacker and the 26th best player coming from Florida according to 247sports.