Elijah Rushing Diannie Chavez / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oregon lands elite five-star EDGE prospect Elijah Rushing

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Oct 30, 2023 8:30 PM ET

Elijah Rushing has an apt last name for what he's about to do at the college football level.

At 6-foot-6, 251 pounds, Rushing is an elite EDGE prospect out of Tucson, Arizona. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 2 EDGE in the 2024 class as well as the No. 14 player nationally.

Rushing committed to his hometown Arizona Wildcats in July, but upon a decommitment in early October, the 5-star opened things back up, and head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks took advantage.

On Monday, Rushing committed to Oregon, becoming Lanning's second-highest-ranked commitment behind 5-star defensive lineman Aydin Breland.

Committed! @CoachDanLanning @CoachLup @KamranAraghi1 @BlairAngulo @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @BFBaumgartner pic.twitter.com/XrOeogsjJ6
— Elijah Rushing (@elijah_rushing) October 30, 2023

“The system, the defensive expertise of coach Dan Lanning and coach Tosh Lupoi, they’re good coaches and they bring that fire to the team,” Rushing told 247Sports, citing reasons why he committed to Oregon. “You could see it on TV, coach Lanning getting in there to fire up the defense on fourth downs. That’s what defensive players look for.”

To Rushing's point, the Ducks are 7-1 and ranked No. 6 in the country after a 35-6 dismantling of No. 13 Utah. Oregon is scoring 45.5 points per game, but the Ducks are also giving up just 15.6 points per game on defense.

All of Oregon's success is a credit to Lanning and the team he's built, per Rushing.

“Coach Lanning is a players’ coach. You could see it with everyone in the locker room and how the guys carry themselves. You see it when you’re (in Eugene). It’s a brotherhood," the 5-star said.

With the addition of Rushing, the Ducks now have the No. 6 ranked recruiting class in the nation.