Oregon secured a pair of high-profile additions in the 2027 class Wednesday, headlined by the commitment of five-star cornerback Hayden Stepp, No. 16 in the SC Next 300.
The 6-foot-3, 190-pound defender from Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School is ESPN's No. 3 cornerback and Nevada's top-ranked prospect in the 2027 cycle.
Stepp lands as No. 1 pledge in the Ducks' incoming class following official visits with Alabama, Cal and Oregon. He also held significant spring interest from Georgia before narrowing his finalists in June.
Stepp announced his commitment to the Ducks minutes after four-star athlete Tae Walden Jr (No. 62 overall) gave his pledge to Oregon over Auburn, LSU, Georgia and Ole Miss Wednesday afternoon.
Together, the duo land as the ninth and 10th SC Next 300 additions to Ducks coach Dan Lanning's latest class, which entered the week at No. 1 in ESPN's class rankings for the 2027 cycle.
Stepp and Walden now stand among five top 100 defenders committed to Oregon in the class, joining defensive end Rashad Streets (No. 35 overall), outside linebacker Toa Satele (No. 69) and safety Semaj Stanford (No. 73). Lanning has signed a top five recruiting class in all four of the complete cycles he's overseen at Oregon, dating to the Class of 2023.
Stepp, an instinctive and disruptive defender, is on track to be a four-year starter at Bishop Gorman, where he helped lift the program to its fifth consecutive state title last fall. He was credited with 24 tackles and four pass break ups during his junior season.
A longtime target for the Ducks, Stepp visited Oregon last fall and remained a priority across multiple visits this spring, including a trip for the program's spring game and an official visit from June 12-14.
Stepp recently told ESPN that staff continuity was an important factor in his connection with the Ducks, highlighted by Lanning's decision to promote secondary coach Chris Hampton to the role of defensive coordinator following the departure of first-year Cal head coach Tosh Lupoi, who continued to recruit Stepp heavily with the Golden Bears.
"I was kind of sad when I heard Coach Lupoi was leaving," Stepp said. "But when they said Coach Hampton was the new [defensive coordinator], it was like, 'OK, I know Coach Hampton. He was the safeties coach. Having a guy that played DB calling the defense is a good thing for me."
Walden, ESPN's No. 2 athlete in the 2027 class, is a two-way standout at Tennessee's Collierville High School and projects to play either wide receiver or cornerback at the next level. He is the son of NFL veteran Erik Walden, a two-time All-Sun Belt selection at Middle Tennessee State from 2004 to '07 who spent the majority of his 10 NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts. Walden completed an official visit with the Ducks from June 19-21.
Stepp's pledge comes one day after four-star defender Josiah Molden, son of former Oregon All-American Alex Molden, committed to the Ducks. Molden, ESPN's No. 34 cornerback in the 2027 class, is the younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers safety Elijah Molden, a three-time All-Pac 12 selection at Washington from 2017-20.
