Oregon shifts recruiting focus to 5-star Will Mencl as QB dominos fall

The Oregon Ducks have made some real progress on the recruiting trail lately. The Ducks picked up three commitments in the past two weeks from a great group of defenders, but the biggest chase of them all is still up in the air.

The Ducks have aggressively pursued the top two quarterbacks, according to Rivals, in the 2027 recruiting class: Will Mencl and Jake Nawrot. While the Ducks have been in on Mencl for a while, they made plenty of progress recently with Nawrot, hosting him on campus twice in the past week. However, it doesn't appear that the Ducks did enough to win him over.

Nawrot, a four-star recruit, announced his commitment to Kentucky on Sunday, aligning himself with former Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein in Lexington. The Ducks never appeared to be the leaders in the recruitment for Nawrot, who chose the Wildcats over Oregon, Iowa and Kansas State, but there was definitely some mutual interest.

There was enough interest that it cast some doubt at one point around Oregon's desire for Mencl, a five-star from Chandler, Arizona, and the top quarterback in the class. Nawrot may have been the backup plan, but now, the Ducks have to go all-in to secure the top passer in the country.

Mencl appears to be gearing up toward a decision, and his last scheduled visit will happen in Eugene on Wednesday. Mencl is expected to decide shortly after his visit between Oregon, Auburn and Penn State. However, the decision appears to be coming down to the Ducks and Tigers, and since the Ducks have a chance to make a final impression and get the last say in his recruitment, things are looking good for the Ducks.

Nawrot's commitment also clears the air and the path for Mencl to not have to battle another true freshman in camp. The Ducks appear to have the quarterback room settled for next season with Dylan Raiola, but Mencl has a lot of fans in Oregon's building as potentially the future of the program under center.

Oregon currently has the No. 7 class in the nation, per Rivals, and adding the 6-foot-3 passer could elevate the Ducks into the top five nationally. Mencl completed over 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. The Ducks could cap an incredible run of commitments in the 2027 class with the crown jewel at the most important position on the field.

Contact/Follow@Ducks_Wireon X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebookto follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Ducks all-in on Will Mencl as QB recruiting saga nears conclusion