Oregon Ducks get one step closer to landing fast rising offensive playmaker who has the attention of several prominent CFB programs
The Oregon Ducks have had a lot of success at the quarterback position over the last few seasons. Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel each were very productive, and Dante Moore is being projected as a breakout star in college football heading into 2025. Head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein have continued to […]
The Oregon Ducks have had a lot of success at the quarterback position over the last few seasons. Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel each were very productive, and Dante Moore is being projected as a breakout star in college football heading into 2025. Head coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein have continued to reload that position.
In the 2026 recruiting class, the Ducks have their eyes closely one of the biggest fast risers in the class. Cincinnati (Ohio) Archbishop Moeller quarterback Matt Ponatoski has seen more increased attention since his massive junior season, and Oregon is one of the main schools that have been taking notice.
Oregon just got one step closer to potentially landing Ponatoski. He released his four finalists on Monday, and the Ducks were included. They were joined by Alabama, Arkansas, and Kentucky. They are viewed as arguably the leader for Ponatoski right now.
Ponatoski is considered to be one of the bigger quarterback risers in the 2026 recruiting class. He is now considered to be a four-star player on the 247Sports Composite ranking. Their platform has the Ohio native rated as the No. 278 overall player, No. 21 quarterback, and No. 12 player in the state of Ohio in the class. He comes in similarly on the On3 Industry ranking, rated as the No. 282 overall player.
A big riser this offseason, Ponatoski has seen his offer list grow exponentially. Some of the top programs who have offered him include Alabama, Oregon, Michigan, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Indiana, Maryland, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Duke, and Purdue among others.
As a junior, Ponatoski put together a tremendous season. Voted as the Ohio Mr. Football and Gatorade Ohio Player of the year, the 6-1, 195-pound passer managed to throw for 3,456 yards and 57 touchdowns, while completing newly 70 percent of his passes and throwing just three interceptions.
The Ohio star is also a tremendous baseball player, and may have a professional career in front of him. Ponatoski is rated as the No. 16 overall player according to Baseball America for the 2026 class. He has touched 97 miles per hour on the mound, while hitting .429 with 29 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.
Oregon Ducks plan at QB becoming quite clear as Dan Lanning sets final official visit for the position this summer
The Oregon Ducks have done a great job filling in the quarterback position with transfers like Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel. Both were huge success stories that helped take Oregon to new heights. Dante Moore could be that next success story at quarterback, but Dan Lanning clearly knows it's time to get the future taken […]
