Dan Lanning might be plotting something cold-blooded behind those Oregon shades. USC has been out here acting reckless, poaching Ducks like it’s open season, but Lanning? Man’s not crying—he’s reloading. Word around Eugene is that there’s a mountain moving up front, and he just might be rocking green and yellow soon. After catching some heat from the Trojans, Oregon is pushing back… hard. And let’s just say the next man up isn’t your average lineman. Matter of fact, the man isn’t average anything.

It all started when USC went full grand theft mode. Not once, but twice. First, they swiped four-star QB Jonas Williams. Then they doubled back and pulled 4-star D-lineman Tomuhini Topui—the 320-pound wrecking machine—straight out of Dan Lanning’s class. Topui didn’t even wait. Man decommitted and hit up Lincoln Riley in the same breath. Petty? Maybe. Calculated? Definitely. And just like that, Oregon dropped to No. 4 overall and No. 3 in the Big Ten for the 2026 recruiting class. Meanwhile, USC is holding strong at No. 2 overall and leading the Big Ten at No. 1 on the On3 Rankings. Lanning, though? Man didn’t panic. He pivoted. If Riley wants to play this game, then Oregon’s about to remind folks why you don’t poke the Ducks.

Now here comes the fun part. Oregon isn’t just trying to get even—they’re trying to bully back. And guess who walked through Eugene this weekend like he owned the place? A 6’4”, 320-pound monster from none other than Mater Dei High—Lex Mailangi. Man’s basically a walking freight train. Solid, mean, and already sounding like he’s halfway packed for Oregon. This visit? It wasn’t just for the vibes and clicks.

Lex got the full Eugene treatment. “Some of the highlights, first off, was the tour,” Mailangi told ScoopDuck On3. “I basically got to see absolutely everything from the experience as a college student athlete, to the academic side.” But it wasn’t the campus that sealed it—it was the Ducks’ vibe. “The energy was crazy. You could feel it. Especially with everybody getting all turned up, just loving to be out there. I really do love that vibe.”

Now here’s where it gets extra juicy. Lex Mailangi isn’t just some random big body. He’s a Mater Dei guy. Same school as Topui. Same school as Kodi Greene—Oregon’s prized five-star O-lineman in the 2026 class. Lanning’s been laying bricks for a Mater Dei-to-Eugene pipeline, and Lex might just be the next train rolling in. The Ducks already landed Greene, and now they’re gunning for the other half of Cali’s trench mafia.

And Lex? He’s feeling it heavy. “Honestly, Oregon’s been the main one I’ve been talking to this past offseason.” He then doubled down: “And I feel like it really showed—it really showed since I got out there.” Yeah, that sounds like a kid ready to suit up. Alabama and Tennessee might be chirping in his DMs, but he’s already scheduled to pull up for the Ducks’ spring game. You don’t do that unless the love’s real.

One thing Lex kept circling back to? The culture. He isn’t just looking for swaggy unis or NIL dollars—he wants that real development. He was low-key impressed with the entire staff, from O-line coach A’lique Terry to Cutter Leftwich. “It was nice getting to know them as a person, to see how genuine they are up front,” he said. “What their thoughts and moves are. As far as me as a player.”

He even name-dropped a few players who stood out during practice. Matayo Uiagalelei, wideout phenom Dakorien Moore, and trench dog Poncho Laloulu. But what caught Lex’s eye wasn’t just highlight plays—it was focus. Discipline. That Duck intensity. “How aggressive he was. How focused he was, especially in the meeting room,” Lex said of Poncho. You don’t get that from a typical visit. That’s a next-level observation.

Dan Lanning’s Mater Dei counterpunch might be a heavyweight hit

Dan Lanning knows exactly where the war is being fought—and he’s storming the same front lines USC just raided. The Mater Dei connection isn’t just a recruiting target—it’s a full-on chessboard. Smart money says Mailangi sees a shot to be part of something real in Eugene. Where the culture’s locked in and the vision is clear.

Ever since Chad Bowden arrived from South Bend, Lincoln Riley’s been cooking with recruiting and Hollywood hype. But Oregon? They’re more blue-collar with a side of swagger. Dan Lanning’s got the Ducks lifting like linebackers, practicing like pros, and vibing like family. That hits different when you’re a 16-year-old lineman trying to figure out where you’ll become a man. Mailangi felt that firsthand. “There isn’t a main thing I can pull away,” he said. “The way they focused on the full aspect of absolutely everything.” That isn’t a casual compliment. That’s respect.

So what’s next? If Mailangi makes it official, Oregon’s 2027 class gets a massive jumpstart with serious Cali weight in the trenches. And the Ducks send a not-so-subtle message back to USC: We’re not just playin’ defense—we’re scoring too. Topui might be gone, Williams might be gone, and Oregon commit Greene might take his USC tour in June, but Lanning’s already moving on. The poaching war just got spicy, and with the spring game coming up, you better believe Oregon’s about to roll out the red carpet one more time. If Lex Mailangi shows up in Eugene again, this revenge tour might turn into a full-on flex.