Would it be Dan Lanning’s former school or his new one? That was the discussion surrounding four-star running back Jordan Bryant-James in recent weeks. The Tennessee native committed to Georgia in March but opted not to sign with the Bulldogs during the early signing period. Considered to be a soft commit for the national champs, Bryant-James was offered by the Ducks and became a top priority for the coaching staff in Eugene.
Wednesday, on National Signing Day, the saga came to a close with Bryant-James opting to follow Lanning to Oregon as the newest member of the Ducks 2022 recruiting class. Oregon had gained momentum in recent weeks after the 5-foot-10 prospect used an official visit on a trip to Eugene.
He ultimately canceled a scheduled visit to Florida last weekend giving a hint into his thought process and where he could be leaning. Now Bryant-James is set to make the move from Murfreesboro, Tennessee to the Pac-12 where he will become a key part of a retooled running back room for the Ducks.
Bryant-James is an important pickup for Oregon since there have been some departures from the team this offseason at his position. Travis Dye previously announced his move to USC as a transfer while CJ Verdell last week made his decision to enter the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility remaining.
The new Oregon commit will join a group that includes Byron Cardwell, Sean Dollars and Seven McGee. Dollars is the veteran of the running back room now, but he was injured during the 2021 season while Cardwell and McGee both contributed as freshmen.
The uncertainty about who will lead the unit leaves Bryant-James with an opportunity to potentially become a contributor early in his career with the Ducks.
Bryant-James is the second four-star recruit Oregon has added in the last few days after cornerback Jahlil Florence announced his decision to re-commit to the Ducks on Monday giving the program three four-star commitments in the class.
Oregon could end the recruiting cycle with a splash as several top uncommitted prospects are set to announce decisions Wednesday with the Ducks being part of their respective final groups.
Bryant-James finished his career at Oakland High School with two strong seasons that ended with his team going undefeated in both years. Individually, the four-star running back rushed for 1,653 yards in 2021 to go along with 21 touchdowns on the ground. He averaged 8.8 yards per carry and over 118 yards per game as a senior.
He scored 52 total touchdowns and ran for over 3,400 yards in the last two seasons of his high school career.
