Oregon Targeting Four-Star Quarterback Recruit Out of Southern California

Visiting Four-Star Recruit Josiah Boyd

One of the big steps for the Ducks in their 2028 recruiting efforts is a recent trip quarterbacks coach Koa Ka'ai made to Vista Del Lago High School in Moreno Valley, California, to meet with highly-touted four-star quarterback prospect Josiah Boyd.

Boyd, coming off a sophomore season with 2,620 passing yards and 19 touchdowns against three interceptions, is currently the No. 146 player in the nation for his class according to 247 Sports, and is listed on several other publications' top prospect lists (Rivals has Boyd listed as the No. 40 player nationally as well).

After watching Boyd throw, Ka'ai extended an offer to the California native, which stands amongst his five other current offers from Arizona State, Sacramento State, Colorado State, San Jose State, and San Diego State.

Quarterback Josiah Boyd's Recruiting Offer Reaction

In an interview with Rivals veteran recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, Boyd spoke about the excitement he has surrounding his offer from the Ducks, sharing that his fandom for Oregon started when the program recruited his cousin Devon Blackmon in 2011.

Blackmon, a wide receiver out of Fontana, California, played a year for the Ducks on their scout team and redshirted. During the middle of the 2011 season, Blackmon suffered a shoulder injury. He eventually found another home in 2014 with the BYU Cougars.

“Oregon has a great program with a great culture. They have a strong player development program in place and a winning mindset. I love what Dan Lanning is doing over there, so Oregon is definitely high on my list," Boyd said to Biggins.

Boyd is a part of a large swath of potential prospects visiting the Ducks in June as part of Oregon's massive recruiting week, hosting athletes from different states and classes to experience the culture of Lanning's crew in Eugene.

What Quarterback Josiah Boyd Adds to Oregon

Recruiting Boyd, just like Oregon's recent commitment from class of 2027 stand-out quarterback Will Mencl, feels like the Ducks are paving the way for the future in Eugene. During Oregon's spring game, returning starter Dante Moore and Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola showed that their No. 1 and No. 2 combination will potentially set up Oregon for the next two seasons, but the Ducks are positioning for the success to continue, going with younger targets like Boyd.

With Boyd not only putting up a freshman and sophomore season with passing production above 2,500 yards and rushing statistics above 400 yards a season, plus what Ka'ai saw on his initial recruiting visit, there's a benefit to getting on the ground floor for Boyd's recruitment early.

Plus, given that Boyd's admitted to being a Duck fan, an early nod from a childhood dream team is one way of helping secure Oregon's future under center.