The Oregon Ducks picked up a major win on the recruiting trail to kick off the weekend, landing 4-star wide receiver Messiah Hampton, the No. 1 ranked player from the state of New York in the 2026 class.
Hampton is a massive win for Oregon’s new wide receiver coach Ross Douglas, who developed a close relationship with the blue-chip player while coaching at Syracuse and continued that relationship when he came over to Eugene.
The 247Sports Composite rates Hampton as the No. 102 player in the 2026 class, and the No. 11 WR. He stands at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds. He is scheduled to take his official visit to Oregon later this month.
It doesn’t come as a major surprise that Hampton committed to Oregon. The Ducks were battling the likes of Syracuse, the Ohio State Buckeyes, Penn State Nittany Lions, and Miami Hurricanes down the stretch, among a few others. Ultimately, it is the relationship with Douglas that proved to be the most significant factor in getting him to side with the Ducks.
While he is verbally committed, this commitment is long from over, though. According to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn, schools like Syracuse and Penn State are expected to stay in the mix for Hampton throughout the fall, so until the pen hits paper in December, this will be an important one to keep an eye on.
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