Dan Lanning has long established his image as a high-profile recruiter in Eugene. And guess what, it’s not just the money he’s thriving on. The Oregon head coach has been wooing top talent with his amazing hospitality and genuine empathy. Every top-tier franchise out there can offer you good sporting amenities, fine-tuned coaches with a history of producing a handful of NFL talents, and a healthy culture as well. But not everyone can give you the homey vibe that Lanning did. And that’s where the difference lies.
College football has been undergoing massive changes since the NCAA opened the NIL floodgates in 2021. On one hand, it triggered growth for some programs but regression for the others with fewer resources. The transfer portal adds to the seismic differences in the horizon, with talents being on a constant move in search of a better paycheck. Now, a college head coach is heavily burdened with the tricky job of striking a balance between recruiting, transfers, and NIL deals. Lanning did it with grace and continues doing it.
He has boasted a No. 2 recruiting class in the 2025 cycle, embracing the most talented recruits across the mix. The list includes Makhi Hughes, Emmanuel Pregnon, Bear Alexander, Dillon Thieneman (S, Purdue), Theran Johnson (CB, Northwestern), and others. However, the star-studded roster takes a slight back seat in the 2026 battle. Currently, Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class ranks No. 14 overall. It was under the radar of the expectations of many. However, the NIL money and his unique ability to connect with the players still bear fruit. Slow and steady, Dan Lanning continues moving along the right path.
Oregon landed a commitment from elite 2026 edge rusher Richard Wesley. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound Los Angeles, CA, native handpicked the Ducks over Texas, Ohio State, and Texas A&M. “Elite 2026 EDGE Richard Wesley has Committed to Oregon,” Hayes Fawcett shared on X. His commitment clearly carries the testament of the Ducks’ ability to pull elite recruits out of Southern California. It shows their commitment to aggressive, attacking defense with dudes in the trenches. But that’s not the whole story. What stole the spotlight and left the internet buzzing like no other was Lanning’s appearance in Wesley’s commitment video. But this time, he didn’t appear in a suit and tie.
Elite 2026 EDGE Richard Wesley and Oregon HC Dan Lanning celebrate the big commitmenthttps://t.co/Bpa7430zkW pic.twitter.com/qi2pcBu4hC
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2025
The veteran head coach embodies a clear example of a coach who can go to any lengths to keep his targets happy and firm in their commitments. So, when Wesley asked him to be part of his announcement video and take his shirt off and jump into a pool, Lanning didn’t think twice. But guess what, he’s paying a price for the desperation. The internet’s take? Not impressed.
Fans criticize Dan Lanning for pulling out a crazy move alongside his new EDGE commit
Wesley took a trip to Eugene for a visit over the weekend. The five-star recruit was so in awe of coach Lanning and his staff that he decided to announce his splashy move right there in an unconventional way. Richard Wesley, a five-star edge rusher from Sierra Canyon High in Chatsworth, Calif., 6-5, 250, certainly adds value to the Ducks locker room, but before that, he made sure he left his presence felt on the pool. Mission accomplished.
Wesley shot a video where he gave a brief introduction and asked the coach if he was ready. Danning, with a big yes, jumped into the water with his boy. While the commitment earns a plus for the Ducks, Lanning’s involvement in the video has gone extremely wrong with people finding it ‘Cringeyyyy’. “This is corny, but it’s why players fw him,” one fan admitted. “You can’t be a 40-year-old man taking your shirt off to jump in a pool with a teenager,” another put him on clear notice. ”How embarrassing” sighed some.
Fans accused Lanning and Wales of chasing social media clout. One showed little to no hope, while saying, “Yea… he meant to be over there just cuz of this video.”
While fans might vent their frustration on the video, it’s not hard to tell that Lanning and his staff don’t care. What matters to them is the commitment of another five-star. That’s another aspect that drew some sensible brickbats from the millions of rants. Fans are genuinely concerned about where the reality of college football is going, where coaches need to please a 17-year-old kid to stay in the game. “These players know u have to glaze them now or else they just leave,” they wrote. You can’t blame fans. But whether or not these things will tamper with the seriousness once the season hits is a big debate. Dan Lanning, regardless, is going strong on his path.
The post ‘How Embarrassing’: Dan Lanning’s Unexpected Recruiting Act Catches Strays as Fans Take Stance Against Oregon HC appeared first on EssentiallySports.
