Oregon lands No. 1-rated safety, nephew of Kobe

Four-star imaginable Jett Washington, ESPN's No. 1 information successful the 2026 class, announced his committedness to Oregon implicit Alabama and USC connected Thursday night.

Washington is simply a 6-foot-5, 210-pound defender from Las Vegas and the nation's No. 22 wide prospect. The top-ranked four-star enlistee successful the 2026 ESPN 300, helium present trails lone five-star choky extremity Kendre' Harrison (No. 11 overall) among the highest-rated of the Ducks' six apical 300 pledges successful the existent cycle.

Washington enters the autumn arsenic a third-year starter astatine Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, wherever helium logged 38 tackles and 5 interceptions during his inferior play successful 2024. A nephew of the precocious Los Angeles Lakers fable Kobe Bryant done his mother, Washington helped pb Bishop Gorman to a 2nd consecutive Nevada Class 5A authorities hoops rubric earlier this year.

Washington's pledge arrives a much-needed recruiting triumph for Ducks manager Dan Lanning pursuing a drawstring of near-misses with top-end talents this spring.

Last month, Oregon whiffed arsenic finalists for five-stars Jackson Cantwell (No. 3 overall) and Jared Curtis (No. 5). As precocious arsenic Thursday morning, five-star jock Brandon Arrington (No. 14) picked Texas A&M pursuing a hotly-costed two-horse contention betwixt the Aggies and Ducks.

But Oregon, alongside Alabama, was among the archetypal large programs to participate Washington's recruitment past year. Through Washington's transportation with antiaircraft backs manager Chris Hampton, the programme held an borderline heading into Washington's slate of authoritative visits with the Ducks, Crimson Tide and USC.

"I person that large clip with [Hampton] and the coaching staff," Washington told ESPN this month. "I loved the mode they treated maine retired there. My narration with them has been going the close mode ever since I started talking to them."

With his pledge, Washington becomes the top-ranked defender successful Oregon's 2026 class. He's 1 of 3 of ESPN 300 commits connected defence for the Ducks, joining antiaircraft tackles Tony Cumberland (No. 89 overall) and Viliami Moala (No. 262).