The Oregon State football team is dominating the competition in the Big Ten Conference with its transfer portal class. The 14 high-profile players in the Ducks transfer class are the best in the Big Ten, but not even close.
In the transfer system rankings, Oregon State's class scores a total of 73.43 points on 247Sports. The next highest are his 59.79 points for the Ohio State Buckeyes and his 59.34 points for the Washington Huskies.
Oregon State coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks acquired top talent from the nation's best program in transfers, including one five-star player, six four-star players and six three-star players.
Oregon State coach Dan Lanning, Ohio State coach Ryan Day
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Lanning's defense was strengthened this weekend with the addition of two notable players: former Alabama safety Peyton Woodyard and former Michigan State defensive tackle Derrick Harmon.
Nationally, Oregon's transfer class ranked second in the nation behind Ole Miss.
4 Star Woodyard Announced his transfer from the University of Alabama to the Oregon Ducks football program on Sunday. Here are three things you should know about Woodyard's commitment to Oregon State:
The Woodyards Oregon Trail: History of Georgia and Alabama
Woodyard was initially touted as a prospect in the 2024 class. committed to the University of Georgia But then he reversed his commitment to Alabama. in August of that year. Woodyard was the first junior in history to announce his college decision at the All-American Bowl, choosing Georgia at the time.
The defensive back enrolled at the University of Alabama in the spring semester after joining the 2024 freshman class in December.
Following the retirement of legendary Alabama head coach Nick Saban, the Alabama athletic department has hired former Washington head coach Karen DeBoer. Even though he enrolled early at the University of Alabama and spent the spring with the program under a new coach. Woodyard entered the transfer portal on April 29th.
Woodyard was listed on the portal with a “no-contact tag” suggesting the transferee was aware of his future destination. He announced his decision to transfer to the Ducks to play for Coach Lanning on Sunday. Woodyard has four years of eligibility remaining.
All-American Bowl “Man of the Year”: Woodyard High School's fame
The four-star safety from California was ranked No. 101 overall in the 247 overall rankings. Woodyard was also listed as the No. 9 safety and No. 12 player out of California.
As a senior at St. John Bosco High School in 2022, Woodyard had 53 tackles, one interception, and seven pass breakups. He also added 62 tackles as a sophomore. At Oregon, he will reunite with former St. John Bosco teammate Matayo Uiagalelei.
Andrew Nemak, host of ESPN's “Recruiting with Andrew Nemec,'' praised Woodyard, saying, “I think he's the most sophisticated, most interesting young man I've ever interviewed.'' said.
No. 2 Transfer Class: Woodyard joins the group
Woodyard's athleticism in high school earned him selection to both the All-American Bowl and the Polynesian Bowl, where he was also named “Man of the Year”.
Lanning scored an important transfer win this weekend, acquiring Woodyard and defensive tackle Derrick Harmon from Michigan State on Friday.
Dax added 14 players from portal this offseason. Those newcomers include Oklahoma State quarterback Dillon Gabriel, former five-star receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M, and Washington's team that last year won the Pac-12 Conference and advanced to the College Football Playoff title game. This includes cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who helped make it happen. They also acquired another talented quarterback in Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit from UCLA.
These transfers, along with Woodyard and Harmon, helped put Oregon State in a strong position to not only compete but win in the Big Ten. The Ducks are well-positioned to be a major contender in their new conference.
