Four-Star Recruit Hayden Stepp Pulls Back the Curtain of Oregon Commitment
Four-Star Recruit Hayden Stepp Pulls Back the Curtain of Oregon Commitment
During his commitment to the Oregon Ducks, four-star cornerback recruit Hayden Stepp caught Oregon coach Dan Lanning by surprise. Caden Handwork|
In this story:
Oregon DucksThe Oregon Ducks have been on a hot streak on the recruiting trail this offseason. On Wednesday, the Ducks added two commits to their 2027 recruiting class, which provided a massive boost to the future of coach Dan Lanning’s Oregon football program.
One of those recruits was top-100 prospect and four-star cornerback Hayden Stepp, who committed to the Ducks over the California Golden Bears and the Alabama Crimson Tide. Stepp is rated as a four-star recruit out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada.
He is rated as the No. 61 player nationally and the No. 1 overall recruit in Nevada, per 247Sports, making him one of the best additions to the Ducks' 2027 recruiting class and Oregon’s future cornerback room.
Stepp made his commitment announcement on the Rivals YouTube Channel as part of the Summer Signing Day Special, and revealed that he played a prank on Oregon coach Dan Lanning when revealing his decision. Here's everything that Stepp said following his commitment to the Ducks' 2027 recruiting class.
What Hayden Stepp Said After Committing to Oregon
On Dan Lanning’s Reaction to His Commitment:
“I definitely had a chance to talk to him. I decided to play a little prank on him a little bit to make it seem like I wasn’t going there, but it was a cool reaction to see his he was turning red a little bit. The smile, it was great," Stepp told Rivals.
On If He Knew Tae Walden Was Committing to Oregon:
“I had a little bit of an idea at The Opening; he kind of talked to me a little bit. He was talking about how I had to slide to Oregon, so I had a little bit of an idea.”
What Type Of Player Oregon Is Getting:
"Just somebody who’s ready to work. I’m always going to compete; I’m just excited to be there, just put my best foot forward, and just be excited to work and just get the opportunity to play and just make plays for the Oregon family," said Stepp.
Oregon 2027 Recruiting Class Ranking
With the commitment of Stepp and four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr., the Ducks have made a massive jump in the recruiting rankings up to No. 4, per 247Sports. The Ducks have 23 total commits in their 2027 recruiting class, and three schools rank ahead of them: the Texas A&M Aggies (No. 1), Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 2), and Miami Hurricanes.
Looking to put together their second straight top-five recruiting class, the Ducks are in great shape to accomplish that goal with Stepp’s commitment. With Stepp, the Ducks now have 17 blue-chip recruits, which include 15 four-star commits and two five-stars, per 247Sports.
The Ducks' 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 3 overall with 24 commits, per 247Sports. The teams ranked ahead of the Ducks included coach Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans (No. 1) and Kalen DeBoer Alabama Crimson Tide (No. 2).
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
Published 1 minute ago
CADEN HANDWORKCaden Handwork is a beat reporter for Oregon Ducks on SI. Caden graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Journalism. He has previous experience writing NBA, NFL, MLB, and College Football content for FanSided as a Contributor. He is also written as a contributor for the Detroit Lions FanSided site, the SideLion Report. At Michigan State, Caden covered several MSU athletic events for Impact 89 FM, Spartan Sports Report, and Spartans Illustrated. He has covered Michigan State Basketball in the Champions Classic in Chicago and has covered Spartan Hockey in the last two NCAA Tournaments.
Home/Football
Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
Story by
Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James'
Free Agency
LIVE
LeBron To Leave Lakers2m ago
6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
What You Should Read Next
LeBron James’ next team? Here’s the case for six potential landing spots
Home to Cleveland? Join Steph and Draymond in the Bay Area? Return to South Beach? Where should LeBron take his talents next?
Jul 2, 2026Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
In this story:
Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
Follow AlexGoldenNBAHome/News
