Dan Lanning secured his third five-star commitment on July 4, propelling Oregon’s 2025 football recruiting class to the third spot in composite rankings. Dakorien Moore, ranked as the top wide receiver in the 2025 class, kept fans in suspense before choosing the Ducks over Texas, LSU, and Ohio State, despite earlier predictions favoring the Longhorns due to his Duncanville (TX) roots.
While USC was never in contention, the recruiting splash has left many Trojans fans displeased with their rival’s success. Oregon supporters and analysts have been vocal on social media, adding to the frustration among USC fans. Despite Moore’s commitment, questions linger about whether he will stick with Oregon, given his previous commitment to LSU and comments about Baton Rouge being his dream location. His recruitment strategy, including visits to Texas and Oregon, suggests a player using his early commitment to enhance his profile and secure better NIL deals.
Moore’s ties to Austin, where his family resides and his mother desires to settle, add further intrigue. For USC fans, currently engaged in social media banter with Oregon counterparts, the hope lies in USC head coach Lincoln Riley’s recruiting strategy. Despite USC’s current 17th-ranked recruiting class, Riley aims to bolster the roster with top prospects like the nation’s second-ranked quarterback and five-star defensive lineman Elijah Griffin before the early signing day in December.
Riley faces a challenging task, inheriting a program in transition compared to Lanning’s advantageous position inheriting strong recruiting classes under Mario Cristobal. USC’s success on the field will be crucial in swaying recruits’ decisions, making the upcoming 2024 season pivotal. As for Moore, while committed to Oregon, predictions from On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine still favor Texas as the likely destination for him, underscoring the uncertainty in recruiting dynamics leading up to signing day.