What Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks were able to do in the 2023 recruiting cycle was impressive by many measures. Not only did the Ducks manage to sign the No. 8 ranked class in the nation and up the level of talent on the roster two-fold over the offseason, but Lanning also etched his name in Oregon lore with one of the top-ranked recruiting classes in school history.
What makes all of that more impressive is the fact that this was Lanning’s first full recruiting class in Eugene. While his fingerprints were on the 2022 class that ranked No. 13 in the nation, Lanning was forced to play from behind a year ago after Mario Cristobal’s late departure left several top prospects to reconsider the Ducks and go elsewhere. The 2023 class was Lanning’s from start to finish, and we finally got to see what he could do with a full year to go to work.
That got me to start thinking about how Lanning’s first year compares to the first recruiting cycle for other coaches in Oregon history. There have been great recruiters in the Ducks’ past, but do their first cycles as head coach stack up to what Lanning was able to do this past year?
Let’s dive into that. Here are the top five “inaugural” recruiting classes for Oregon coaches over the past couple of decades.
Mark Helfrich — 2014 Recruiting Class
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Mark Helfrich’s first year as the head coach of the Ducks came in 2013, which made the 2014 class the first full cycle during his time in Eugene.
National Ranking: 21
Pac-12 Ranking: 4
5-star Commits: 0
4-star Commits: 7
Top-Rated Commit: 4-star RB Royce Freeman
Willie Taggart — 2018 Recruiting Class
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Willie Taggart’s first and only year as the head coach of the Ducks came in 2017, which made the 2018 class the only full cycle during his time in Eugene.
National Ranking: 13
Pac-12 Ranking: 2
5-star Commits: 0
4-star Commits: 12
Top-Rated Commit: 4-star OT Penei Sewell
Chip Kelly — 2010 Recruiting Class
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Chip Kelly’s first year as the head coach of the Ducks came in 2009, which made the 2010 class the first full cycle during his time in Eugene.
National Ranking: 11
Pac-12 Ranking: 3
5-star Commits: 1
4-star Commits: 10
Top-Rated Commit: 5-star RB Lache Seastrunk
Dan Lanning — 2023 Recruiting Class
James Snook-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Lanning’s first year as the head coach of the Ducks came in 2022, which made the 2023 class the first full cycle during his time in Eugene.
National Ranking: 8
Pac-12 Ranking: 1
5-star Commits: 1
4-star Commits: 19
Top-Rated Commit: 5-star WR Jurrion Dickey
Mario Cristobal — 2019 Recruiting Class
Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Mario Cristobal’s first year as the head coach of the Ducks came in 2018, which made the 2019 class the first full cycle during his time in Eugene.
National Ranking: 7
Pac-12 Ranking: 1
5-star Commits: 1
4-star Commits: 11
Top-Rated Commit: 5-star EDGE Kayvon Thibodeaux
