Subscribe
Follow Us
Dan Lanning just gave Oregon a head start on its 2027 college football recruiting class. Although still two years away, the Ducks made a big splash on Thursday by landing a commitment from five-star receiver Kesean Bowman.
Bowman committed to Oregon over offers from LSU, Ohio State and Tennessee, according to Rivals' Hayes Fawcett. Bowman, a five-star recruit from Brentwood, Tennessee, also received offers from Vanderbilt, Florida State, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisville to remain close to home, but decided on a perceived better fit in Lanning's offense.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound wideout is currently the No. 5-rated receiver of the class of 2027 on 247 Sports. While scouts believe he needs to add size to be effective at the collegiate level, his game has an uncanny resemblance to that of former Oregon standout Tez Johnson, who received the same criticism. At 165 pounds, Johnson is currently the lightest player in the NFL, but he racked up 2,080 receiving yards in his final two years in Eugene.
It is still early, but Oregon is already ahead of the game with its 2027 recruiting class. Bowman is the team's second hard commit in the last two months, joining three-star edge-rusher Cameron Pritchett.
Dan Lanning transitioning Oregon into new offense in 2025
The Bowman commitment is the next step Lanning is taking to transition into a new era beginning in 2025. Oregon faces the daunting task of replacing Heisman Trophy finalist Dillon Gabriel in the fall. Gabriel was one of five former Ducks players to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
While Lanning feels comfortable with former UCLA starter Dante Moore taking over for Gabriel under center, the team still has several other questions to answer. Oregon also lost its starting running back and top four receivers, forcing Lanning to usher in an entirely new offense in 2025. The Ducks were initially supposed to have senior wideout Evan Stewart back, but an offseason knee injury leaves them even more depleted.
Oregon received key commitments in the college football transfer portal to ease the pain, but the transition will still likely be rough. Lanning brought in former Alabama and Florida State star Malik Benson and Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes to lead the team in 2025. The Ducks also expect a lot of early production from freshman Dakorien Moore, the top receiver recruit of the incoming class.
