Prediction: Oregon Ducks to land son of Hall of Famer

The Oregon Ducks and Dan Lanning officially inked a consensus top-five class nationally in the 2026 recruiting cycle and have turned the page to 2027.   For two straight years, Lanning and Co. have signed a group of recruits that is ranked No. 1 nationally in terms of "average rating per commit," highlighting a commitment to star power - even if it means fewer signees than some of the other top contenders.   In the 2027 cycle, the Ducks seem destined to compete for the nation's No. 1 class, and have already secured verbal commitments from four prospects.   In terms of "big names," none was bigger than the son of former Oregon legend Haloti Ngata, four-star linebacker Sam Ngata.   But Lanning may not be done adding legacy sons of Hall of Famers.   West Linn (Oregon) four-star cornerback [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'] is the son of Oregon Hall of Famer and former NFL first-round pick Alex Molden.   For Alex's part, he was a cornerback for the legendary Gang Green defense of the mid-1990's and finished his career with 60 passes broken up - a school record - and 11 interceptions.   Passing down that knowledge, Josiah's older brother, Elijah Molden, was a bluechip recruit in the class of 2017 and became an NFL third-round pick after a stellar career at Washington.   Ten years later, it's Josiah's turn.   And they've both learned a ton from their father.   "Elijah and Josiah... I've taught them to play defensive back at the granular level," <a href="https://www.si.com/high-school/recruiting/2023/05/04/josiah-molden-west-linn-8th-grader-and-son-of-ducks-legend-receives-oregon-offer">Molden told HighSchoolOnSI</a>. "We don't do drills just to do drills. We teach concepts - what is the quarterback thinking, what is the offensive coordinator thinking, what's the down and distance... trying to slow the game down for them. When you understand it at a granular level it doesn't matter who you face, because you have all the components. You add the athleticism and it's the same blueprint I had for Elijah."   The 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back has been ranked the top player in Oregon for his class since eighth grade and has accumulated nearly double-digit offers - Arizona State, Arkansas, Cal, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, USC and Washington.   Recently, Molden trimmed that list to a final six of Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, USC and Washington.   But one team may stand out above the fray.   Prediction: [player_tooltip player_id='632957' first='Josiah' last='Molden'] to Oregon   Lanning has had an incredible attention to detail in Molden's recruitment, making sure he knows he's a priority without putting pressure on him to end up in Eugene.   That began with an offer from Molden when he was the eighth grade.   Of all of Molden's offers, Oregon was the only one that came after Lanning asked if it was okay ahead of time, so as to not shine the spotlight on Josiah too early.   That stuff matters, especially for a Molden family that is very close and pays such close attention to succeeding through the little things.   Oregon is pushing for the nation's top class in 2027, and has absolutely dominated in-state recruiting when they've wanted a guy under Lanning.   That streak is likely to continue with Molden, who has a sky-high floor due to his advanced approach and seems destined to be a multi-year contributor wherever he goes.   It also helps that Molden's elite athleticism was fully unleashed as a junior, emerging as the state's best cover corner as well as one of the most dynamic receivers on the West Coast. <a href=""></a>

The Oregon Ducks and Dan Lanning officially inked a consensus top-five class nationally in the 2026 recruiting cycle and have turned the page to 2027.