Dan Lanning's Oregon faces major recruiting concerns as insider reveals five-star OT gaining momentum with LSU

Five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho has long been viewed as favoring Oregon. The standout from Georgetown Preparatory School in Baltimore, Maryland, is also considering LSU, Penn State and Auburn, with his commitment decision scheduled for Aug. 5.

Among his top choices, LSU is seen as Dan Lanning's Oregon's biggest competition in the recruitment race. Iheanacho is set to take an official visit to LSU this weekend, and On3’s Steve Wiltfong highlighted why the Tigers are a serious contender:

"It's a program that he could really see himself flourishing. Brian Kelly, head football coach, one of the best offensive line developers in college football.

"When you look at what he's done historically over the course of his career, the guys that have played for him at Notre Dame, and now LSU, some of the best players in the NFL, some of the highest draft picks at the position."

Wiltfong previously predicted Iheanacho would commit to Oregon back in May and still considers it the favorite. However, Kelly's success and offensive line coach Brad Davis' recruitment gave a lot to think about in this recruitment:

"I got LSU in the two slot coming in. Could they be number one coming out? I think so because of what they do on the field. Brad Davis, the way he connects with recruits,the way he develops offensive lineman Brian Kelly, what he's done historically. LSU's got the number one class in the country."

With five-star tackle Jackson Cantwell already committed to Miami, Iheanacho stands as the highest-rated uncommitted offensive tackle. Iheanacho is the No. 1 recruit in Maryland and the No. 3 prospect in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Analyst shares LSU's potential edge over Oregon in Immanuel Iheanacho's recruitment

Besides Steve Wiltfong, On3 recruiting insider Shea Dixon shared insights on Wednesday regarding LSU's growing momentum in the recruitment of Immanuel Iheanacho, potentially giving them an edge over Oregon.

"LSU might be the dark horse here as arguably one of the two or three other teams that's really in the mix," Dixon said. "And having him (Iheanacho) on campus with double-digit other guys.

"I think nine or 10 of the 12 rank in the top 200. So, this is kind of a who's who of visitors coming from outside the state. Certainly, they'll roll out the red carpet for him. He's the highest ranked of them all."

LSU also holds a strong recruiting advantage with its current No. 1 ranking in the 2026 class, boasting nine commits, including three five-star players.

In contrast, Oregon has struggled in the last few months and even lost two commits this week amid a rough recruiting stretch.