Oregon head coach Dan Lanning is giving Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs a headache this offseason
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Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning spent four seasons on the Georgia Bulldogs‘ coaching staff under Kirby Smart — there’s a ton of respect between the two coaches.
But that doesn’t mean Lanning is taking it easy on his old friends in Athens this offseason.
Oregon is coming for one of Georgia’s most important 2027 commits
Lanning and the Ducks are working hard this offseason to flip a key five-star recruit from the Bulldogs.
2027 five-star cornerback Donte Wright has been committed to Georgia since last June, but he hasn’t shut down his recruitment.
Wright, 6-foot-1/170 pounds from Long Beach, CA, is planning to take several visits before making his final decision.
And it’s Oregon that looms as the biggest threat to flip Wright, who is rated in 247Sports’ composite rankings as the No. 3 cornerback in the nation.
Wright has an official visit scheduled to Oregon for June 19. Interestingly, his official visit to Georgia is scheduled for May 29 (which means the Ducks will get one of the final chances to make a big impression on the five-star defensive back).
“Wright has not backed off his pledge to Georgia but confirms a final decision will come this summer,” noted 247Sports’ Jackson Moore this week.
Wright told 247Sports that Oregon is checking boxes “pretty well”.
“Somewhere that’s home,” said Wright when asked what he’s looking for in a school. “Somewhere that I know I’m wanted, for sure. Oregon is checking those boxes pretty well as of right now.”
“I have a good relationship with them,” added Wright. “Coach Dan Lanning and (Rashad) Wadood have been there since the very start. Wadood, he lets me know how much of a priority I am. Coach Dan, he talks to me the most. I feel like out of all the head coaches, I have the best relationship with Coach Dan.”
It’s never easy to flip a five-star recruit from Georgia, but this could be a tough one for Smart and the Bulldogs. Wright is from the west coast, and Oregon isn’t afraid to get into an NIL bidding war for a recruit they covet. Georgia, on the other hand, is a bit more hesitant to start throwing insane amounts of cash around just to land a recruit.
The Bulldogs will do what they can in this recruiting battle, but it might not be enough to keep Wright away from the Ducks.
Related: Longtime Georgia football commit explains why he decommitted from the Bulldogs
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This story was originally published by A to Z Sports on Feb 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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