Oregon Ducks Predicted To Land Elite Four-Star Small Forward Recruit

In what is shaping up to be a huge win for the Ducks on the recruiting trail, Joe Tipton of Rivals put in a prediction in favor of Oregon landing Ariza with a 60 percent confidence level.

Ariza is one of the best players in the 2026 recruiting cycle. He was ranked as the No. 6 small forward and No. 14 player in the country according to 247Sports' rankings. He holds 14 offers with UCLA, Kansas, and Alabama listed among them.

If Ariza does end up committing to Oregon, he would be tied with Malik Hairston and Kwame Evans Jr. for the fifth-highest rated recruit to ever sign with Oregon.

Teams In The Hunt

USC is a program that's been heavily active in Ariza's recruitment. The California native made multiple visits to his local, in-state school, but they were never able to secure a commitment.

It's a big deal that Oregon potentially was able to beat out the Trojans for one of the top prospects in California. USC has had good luck at successfully recruiting some of the top in-state talent recently, so it's important to see Oregon coach Dana Altman score a win for the Ducks' recruiting class.

Fellow Visitors

During Ariza's visit to Eugene on Sept. 6, he was accompanied by a pair of fellow recruits. Five-star guard Tay Kinney and four-star guard Adam Oumiddoch joined Ariza that weekend. Kinney took himself off the market recently when he committed to Kansas.

Oumiddoch is the No. 4 shooting guard and No. 46 player in the country according to 247Sports' Composite rankings. He's taken official visits to Villanova, Illinois, and LSU in addition to the Ducks.

Rivals' Recruiting Prediction Machine has pegged Villanova as the favorites to land Oumiddoch. The RPM has given the Wildcats a 26 percent chance of landing the four-star guard. The Ducks sit with a 16 percent chance of adding Oumiddoch.

That same weekend, five-star forward Christian Collins and four-star center Ethan Taylor also made their way to Oregon for an official visit.

Collins is one of the best players in the cycle. He is ranked as the No. 2 small forward and No. 8 player in the country. USC is the current favorites to land Collins with a 40 percent chance, but Oregon isn't too far behind at 26 percent.