As is always the case in the world of college football, the 4th of July holiday weekend is stacked with commitments of top-ranked players in the nation. We saw several 5-star players announce their commitments ealier in the week, and that continued on Saturday with the announcement fro 5-star WR Calvin Russell.

While the Oregon Ducks were among the top schools for Russell, the No. 21 player and No. 3 WR in the class, per 247 Sports, they ultimately were unable to land him. On Saturday night, Russell announced his commitment to the Syracuse Orange.

Russell took an official visit to Oregon in June and had the Ducks among his top schools. Still, the Ducks weren’t a strong contender late in his recruitment as Syracuse and Michigan got into a bidding war over the top-tier prospect.

Meanwhile, the Ducks — who landed 4-star WR Messiah Hampton last month — are considered the favorite to land 4-star WR Jalen Lott when he announces his commitment in a few days.

Following the recent surge in commitments, Oregon now boasts the No. 10 class in the 2026 cycle and is likely to improve it further with a few more commitments on the horizon.

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