Recruiting roundup: Oregon’s strong close and fast start, Washington heads out of state, Chesney gains traction
The Hotline is delighted to provide West Coast fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Phoenix-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. He submitted the following report on Feb. 4 …
A bow on the class of 2026
Much was made Wednesday about the “good old days” of recruiting — back when the first Wednesday of February was an unofficial national holiday, like Super Bowl Sunday, and the fax machine was changing the futures of coaches and players alike.
The traditional National Signing Day came and went this week without much ado as the majority of 2026 prospects not only signed in December but also enrolled in January.
Still, a familiar face who treats any signing day like a big deal was in the news, with Oregon landing the West Coast’s last uncommitted four-star recruit: Southern California defensive lineman Anthony Jones.
A longtime UCLA pledge, Jones opened up his recruitment when DeShaun Foster was fired. He recommitted to the Bruins, then said he wouldn’t be signing.
That allowed Oregon to sneak in and snag Jones, putting one final bow on the Ducks’ 2026 class.
He was one of two four-star prospects who signed with the Ducks on Wednesday. Running back Brandon Smith, who signed with Arizona in December, then reversed course, also inked with the Ducks.
Of course, Smith received his release from Arizona in January after running backs coach Alonzo Carter, who had been his primary recruiter, left to take the head coaching job at Sacramento State.
The Ducks secured his pledge two weeks ago, and he put pen to paper — or finger to DocuSign — on Wednesday to give Oregon the No. 2 class in the country behind only USC.
Rounding out the late additions was Dayton Raiola. The former Nebraska quarterback commit, and younger brother of Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola will join his older brother in Eugene, where Dylan transferred last month.
However, the younger Raiola will convert to tight end, which he played in last month’s Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.
New 2027 Ducks
Of course, Oregon wasn’t sitting idle with 2027 recruits. The Ducks added two more pledges just a week after landing 2027 linebacker Sam Ngata.
Offensive line recruiting has been an absolute strength for A’Lique Terry, who coaches the position for Dan Lanning. And he returned to the Golden State for two tackle prospects.
The first was Avery Michael out of Turlock. Michael had just gotten an Oregon offer in mid-January, but didn’t need to wait long and committed to the Ducks after taking a visit.
A few hours later, Anaheim offensive lineman Drew Fielder announced his own commitment to the Ducks.
That gave the Ducks their first two offensive pledges in the 2027 class, joining Ngata and longtime commitment Cameron Pritchett, a four-star edge from Alabama.
Bruins start fast under Chesney
With its first major recruiting event of Bob Chesney’s tenure, the Bruin Elite Junior Day, UCLA extended a number of offers.
The Bruins also pulled in their first two commitments from the 2027 class under Chesney. Both are from Southern California, and both were offered on Saturday.
The last stop Chesney made on the road during the contact period was to see the Corona Centennial and Temecula Chaparral showcase.
He was at Chaparral largely to see quarterback Dane Weber, but it was one of Weber’s top targets who caught his eye: 2027 receiver Michael Farinas.
Farinas, who’s known as Kiko, ended up being offered by UCLA two days after the showcase, then needed just two more days to end his recruitment and commit to the Bruins.
Of course, the first stop Chesney made during the contact period was to Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana.
On the grounds of the prep powerhouse, he watched linebacker Michael Davis Jr., who was also offered by the Bruins at their Elite Junior Day.
On Wednesday, Davis announced his commitment to the Bruins and became the first defensive pledge for Chesney.
There was also some subtraction in Westwood: Trysten Shaw, the three-star receiver from Texas who had committed during the DeShaun Foster era, opened up his recruitment in what one source indicated was a mutual parting of ways.
Huskies head out of state
Washington has a very strong 2026 contingent within the state and has already locked up a pair of commitments from top 10 prospects.
The Huskies also closed January by landing a top-10 recruit from Arizona and the top-ranked prospect from Idaho.
Receiver Zerek Sidney, from Goodyear (Ariz.), announced his commitment to the Huskies last week and cited the belief in him by receivers coach Kevin Cummings and head coach Jedd Fisch. (Notably, they gave Sidney his first scholarship offer when they were at Arizona.
Over the weekend, Titus Osterman, the No. 1 recruit in Idaho in 2027, committed to UW. Osterman is ranked as an athlete, but he’ll play linebacker for the Huskies.
New Pac-12 schools start their ’27 class
With the new-look Pac-12 set to start in the fall, two of the newest schools in the conference began their 2027 recruiting cycles with commitments.
Fresno State didn’t need to do much to wow Justin Ortiz. The offensive tackle from Hilmar (Calif.) and his family were longtime FSU season ticket holders.
So Ortiz jump-started the Bulldogs’ class with his Saturday commitment.
San Diego State had one of its best classes in 2026, leaving the state for a number of top commitments. Naturally, the Aztecs started their 2027 class with an out-of-stater: Nasim Eason, from Higley High School in Gilbert, Arizona.
Eason was inside Snapdragon Stadium for the Aztecs’ impressive shutout win over Cal. That resonated with the defensive back, who became pledge No. 1 for Sean Lewis in the class.
A dead month
With the whirlwind of January over — the portal opened, the portal closed, the contact period opened, was paused, reopened, and then concluded — the month of February is now dead.
Several coaching staffs will take a week off this month. Teams can’t host visitors until March and can’t hit the road again until April. For many, February is a chance to catch their breath. That’s especially true at Cal and UCLA, where the new coaches attacked the portal with vigor while leading playoff teams. (Tosh Lupoi coordinated Oregon’s defense in the CFP; Chesney coached James Madison to a first-round playoff spot.)
With March comes on-campus visits. April allows for official visits to start at the beginning of the month. And the middle of the month opens up the evaluation period.
June is another big month for official visits, plus on-site and off-site camps, and the majority of the heavy lifting for the 2027 class.
And then in July, everything goes dead.
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to wilnerhotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow Huffman on the social media platform X via @BrandonHuffman and support @AveryStrongDIPG
*** Follow me on the social media platform X: @WilnerHotline