2022 Recruiting Class: The Transition Class

Dan Lanning was announced as Oregon's head coach on December 11, 2021. National Signing Day was February 2, 2022. He had less than two months to assemble a class. He inherited commitments from the Mario Cristobal era, added transfers from the portal, and signed 18 high school players plus 11 transfers. The high school class ranked #22 nationally (the lowest of his tenure), but the transfers changed everything. Christian Gonzalez transferred from Colorado and played one season at Oregon: 50 tackles, 4 interceptions (third in the Pac-12), 11 passes defended, first-team All-Pac-12. He was drafted #17 overall by the New England Patriots. Bo Nix transferred from Auburn and threw 42 total touchdowns in his first season. He was drafted #12 overall by the Denver Broncos after 2023. Bucky Irving transferred from Minnesota and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Josh Conerly Jr., a five-star offensive tackle from Seattle and the top high school signee, started for three years and was drafted #29 overall by the Washington Commanders in 2025. Jordan James, a four-star running back who flipped from Georgia, rushed for 1,267 yards and 15 TDs in the 2024 Big Ten Championship season and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers. From a transition class assembled in weeks, Lanning produced two first-round picks (Conerly, Gonzalez), a #12 overall pick (Nix), and multiple NFL starters. The class that was supposed to be an emergency rebuild became proof that the coach was the real deal.

Five players from the 2022 class were drafted in the NFL: Josh Conerly Jr. (Round 1, #29, Commanders), Christian Gonzalez (Round 1, #17, Patriots), Bo Nix (Round 1, #12, Broncos), Jordan James (Round 5, #147, 49ers), and Bucky Irving (Round 4, #125, Buccaneers). Three first-round picks from one transition class. Only three high school signees from the original 18 remain on the 2026 roster (Devon Jackson, Dave Iuli, Kawika Rogers). The attrition was expected for a transition class. The NFL production was not. Gonzalez's single season at Oregon (4 INTs, 118 INT return yards, drafted #17) remains one of the most impactful one-year transfer performances in program history.