The Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning landed a commitment from four-star running back Brandon Smith on Monday, adding speed and versatility to the Ducks' running back room.
The Oregon Ducks and coach Dan Lanning received a major commitment in their 2026 recruiting class as four-star running back Brandon Smith pledged to Oregon on Monday. Smith is rated as a three-star running back recruit in the 2026 class, per 247Sports.
Smith signed with the Arizona Wildcats in December before decommitting on Jan. 17. Smith is known for his explosiveness as a running back and has also achieved several accomplishments as a track star. During his senior season with Central East High School in Fresno, California, Smith rushed for 2,914 yards and 32 touchdowns, while averaging 8.6 yards per carry on 255 carries. Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images On the track, Smith posts a personal best of 10.6 seconds in the 100-meter, 21.5 seconds in the 200-meter, and 46.8 seconds in the 400-meter. In addition to his accomplishments on the football field and track, Smith is ranked as the No. 29 overall running back in the 2026 recruiting class, per 247Sports. His speed as a running back is a major addition to Oregon's high-powered offense, which thrives on fast-paced play.Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field prior to the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images Smith, with his commitment, joins a talented 2026 recruiting class for the Ducks that also includes another talent at his position, four-star running back Tradarian Ball from Texas High in Texarkana, Texas. Ball is ranked as the No. 4 overall running back in the country, per 247Sports.Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class, ranked No. 2 overall behind the USC Trojans, has several players who look to make an immediate impact next season as the Ducks aim to go all in with the return of quarterback Dante Moore to win their first national championship in school history. The Ducks have a total of 22 commits in their 2026 class, and Smith looks to be one of them to make a major impact on next season’s team. Smith, alongside Ball, also looks to be the next pair of running backs at Oregon that can lead them to championship success.Oregon running back Noah Whittington takes the field for warmups as the Oregon Ducks host the USC Trojans on Nov. 22, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Over the last few seasons, Oregon has dominated offensively with its running back trio of Noah Whittington, Jordon Davison, and Dierre Hill Jr. During Oregon’s 2025 season, which featured a run to the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl before falling to the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers, the trio rushed for a combined 2,152 yards and 26 touchdowns. With Whittington set to depart for the 2026 NFL Draft, Davison and Hill Jr. will return to lead the Ducks' backfield. It’ll be interesting to see what both Ball and Smith’s roles will be as running backs for the Ducks throughout the 2026 season. Whittington leaves Oregon after a phenomenal career with the Ducks, rushing for 2,294 yards and 19 touchdowns in four seasons. Davison is expected to be the leading rusher for the Ducks next season after collecting 113 carries for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2025.Caden Handwork is a beat reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. Caden graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism. He has previous experience writing NBA, NFL, MLB, and College Football content for FanSided as a Contributor. He is also written as a contributor for the Detroit Lions FanSided site, the SideLion Report. At Michigan State, Caden covered several MSU athletic events for Impact 89 FM, Spartan Sports Report, and Spartans Illustrated. He has covered Michigan State Basketball in the Champions Classic in Chicago and has covered Spartan Hockey in the last two NCAA Tournaments.Miami’s Big-Money Push for Darian Mensah Exposes College Football’s Portal Problem
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