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Eli Lederman
Four-star prospect Jett Washington, ESPN’s No. 1 safety in the 2026 class, announced his commitment to Oregon over Alabama and USC on Thursday night.
Washington is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound defender from Las Vegas and the nation’s No. 22 prospect. The top-ranked four-star recruit in the 2026 ESPN 300, he trails only five-star tight end Kendre’ Harrison (No. 11 overall) as the highest rated of the Ducks’ six top-300 pledges in the current cycle.
Washington enters the fall as a third-year starter at Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman, where he logged 38 tackles and five interceptions during his junior season in 2024. A nephew of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, Washington helped lead Bishop Gorman to a second consecutive Nevada Class 5A state basketball title earlier this year.
Washington’s pledge is a much-needed recruiting win for Ducks coach Dan Lanning after a string of near misses with top-end talents this spring.
Last month, Oregon whiffed as finalists for five-stars Jackson Cantwell (No. 3 overall) and Jared Curtis (No. 5). As recently as Thursday morning, five-star athlete Brandon Arrington (No. 14) picked Texas A&M after a hotly contested race between the Aggies and Ducks.
But Oregon, alongside Alabama, was among the first major programs to enter Washington’s recruitment last year. Through Washington’s connection with Oregon defensive backs coach Chris Hampton, the program held an edge heading into Washington’s slate of official visits with the Ducks, Crimson Tide and Trojans.
“I have that great time with [Hampton] and the coaching staff,” Washington told ESPN this month. “I loved the way they treated me out there. My relationship with them has been going the right way ever since I started talking to them.”
With his pledge, Washington becomes the top-ranked defender in Oregon’s 2026 class. He is one of three ESPN 300 commits on defense for the Ducks, joining defensive tackles Tony Cumberland (No. 89 overall) and Viliami Moala (No. 262).