5-star DL Marcus Fakatou names Oregon among five finalists

April was an incredible month for the Oregon Ducks on the recruiting trail. The Ducks picked up six commitments in the month leading up to the spring game, including a pledge from five-star quarterback Will Mencl. After building more momentum with a successful visit with a handful of recruits at the spring game, Oregon has its eyes on another five-star prospect.

Marcus Fakatou, the No. 27 overall player in the Rivals Industry Rankings, cut his recruitment down to just five schools: Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Ohio State and Georgia. The Sierra Canyon star is the No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2027 class and has the size to play inside and the length to play on the edge.

Oregon hosted Fakatou for an unofficial visit in March that ended with the No. 3 player in California feeling like the Ducks were a leader in the race. However, Fakatou's hierarchy in his recruitment has changed with each visit, and it could come down to who gets the last say.

Fakatou told Rivals' Greg Biggins that Ohio State is his current leader, with Notre Dame and Georgia closely following. After an unofficial visit to South Bend last week, Fakatou locked in an official visit to Notre Dame on June 15, just three days after he is scheduled to be in Eugene for his official visit with the Ducks.

The 6-foot-7, 275-pound monster on the edge will come to Eugene in June alongside his Sierra Canyon teammate, four-star defensive lineman Kasi Currie, who was present for Oregon's spring game. The Ducks are in a good position to land Currie, and they could attempt to sway the duo to take their partnership to Autzen Stadium for the future.

The Ducks have committed a significant amount of resources to their defensive line so far in the 2027 recruiting cycle. Four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe and Cam Pritchett have already shut down their recruitments, locking in with the Ducks, while Oregon earned a pledge from four-star edge rusher Rashad Streets last month.