Oregon lands LB Jones, ranked 27th in ESPN 300

Oregon secured a large late-July boost successful the 2026 people connected Thursday erstwhile four-star extracurricular linebacker Anthony Jones, No. 27 successful the ESPN 300, announced his committedness to the Ducks connected "The Pat McAfee Show."

Jones, a versatile defender from Mobile, Alabama, is ESPN's No. 2 extracurricular linebacker and No. 1 enlistee successful the authorities of Alabama successful the 2026 class. He chose the Ducks implicit Alabama and Texas A&M, landing arsenic the fourth-ranked of 11 ESPN 300 pledges successful Oregon's 2026 recruiting class.

The lad of Alabama fans, Jones grew up admiring erstwhile Crimson Tide stars similar Derrick Henry and Will Anderson. Jones told ESPN that helium developed heavy relationships with the coaching staffs astatine Alabama and Texas A&M passim his process, but that his committedness was swayed to the Ducks by the program's accordant interaction and caller antiaircraft pipeline to the NFL.

"They've been coming to spot maine and made maine a existent priority," Jones told ESPN. "Coach Dan Lanning and [defensive coordinator] Tosh Lupoi, they person a past of coaching edges and getting guys to the league with their NFL scheme."

Behind five-stars Kendre' Harrison (No. 12 overall), Immanuel Ihenacho (No. 13) and Jett Washington (No. 21), Jones present stands arsenic the 4th apical 30 pledge successful Oregon's latest class, which presently sits astatine No. 10 successful ESPN's latest people rankings for the 2026 cycle.

Designated arsenic an extracurricular linebacker successful the 2026 ESPN 300, Jones projects to go a multipositional borderline defender erstwhile helium joins the Ducks successful 2026. He was credited with 86 tackles with 16 sacks successful his inferior play astatine St. Paul's Episcopal School (Alabama) successful 2024, wherever Jones plays crossed the front-seven and besides features arsenic a reddish portion people and extremity enactment wildcat quarterback.

"I don't deliberation he's reached his afloat imaginable yet," St. Paul's Episcopal manager Ham Barnett precocious told ESPN. "He could beryllium a unreserved borderline successful college, but I besides deliberation they'll beryllium capable to enactment him wrong to make matchups, arsenic well. I deliberation the quality of Tank is you tin determination him astir anywhere."

Jones commits arsenic 1 of 5 ESPN 300 defender pledges to Oregon this cycle. Washington, the No. 1 information successful the 2026 class, became the top-ranked defender successful the Ducks' people connected June 19. Defensive tackle Tony Cumberland (No. 90 overall), 2027 antiaircraft extremity reclass Prince Tavizon (No. 232) and information Devin Jackson (No. 241) circular Oregon's postulation of apical 300 pledges connected defense.

Jones' pledge could beryllium conscionable the commencement of a important fewer days of recruiting for Lanning and Ducks.

Oregon is considered a front-runner for four-star Deuce Geralds (No. 40 overall) with ESPN's No. 2 antiaircraft tackle acceptable to take betwixt the Ducks, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss connected Saturday. The Ducks are besides well-positioned to onshore four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin (No. 63), who is besides expected to denote his committedness Saturday afternoon.