Gatlin Bair commits to Oregon Ducks; 5-star receiver says Dan Lanning 'is not going anywhere'
During the recruiting process, Burley (Idaho) five-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair has experienced the fast-moving world of college football.
Once committed to Boise State, the national speedster reopened his recruitment when the Broncos made a coaching change.
Down to Michigan and Oregon for the past several weeks, Bair's recruitment again took a turn when Jim Harbaugh accepted the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Chargers.
On Friday, Bair put an end to the process, choosing the Oregon Ducks and the stability of Dan Lanning.
The 6-foot-2, 194-pound pass-catcher is the nation's 27 overall prospect and the No. 6 wide receiver in America.
"I'm going to Oregon," he said. "I think one of the biggest reasons is Coach Lanning. His passion for what he's doing at Oregon is unrivaled. When you talk to him you can tell how passionate he is about what he's doing right now and winning at Oregon. He turned down the Alabama job, and that's a huge boost for him in recruiting."
"That was definitely a large reason I chose Oregon. Coach Lanning is not going anywhere and he repeats that constantly."
Bair is also enamored with the program's recent success producing quality receivers, most notably potential NFL first-round draft pick Troy Franklin.
"Their offense is very desirable," he said. "They are starting to produce receivers and coach (Junior) Adams does a phenomenal job with receivers. He has a track record producing elite receivers that produce in the NFL."
Given that Bair will be gone for two years on an LDS mission, and will return as a class of 2026 prospect, there remains some question about how the college football landscape will look at that time.
But regarding Oregon specifically, that's something Lanning has directly addressed.
"He's never beat around the bush," Bair said. "His level of confidence, at first, was a little bit scary. When a coach says (he'll stay), it kind feels like they are lying. No one can be that confident. But after he turned down Texas A&M and Alabama, it's like okay... there's no reason for him to go anywhere else."
Bair will sign a National Letter of Intent that will no longer be binding when he returns for his mission.
But he also wants to send the message that he's locked in with Oregon.
"The process is long and tiring and not a lot of fun," Bair said. "I don't want to go through it again. Unless something crazy happens, there's a very, very small chance (I decommit). You can never say never, because it's college football. But I really don't want to."
One of the fastest track and field stars in America, Bair, who runs a 10.15 100-meter time, has previously indicated he won't run track in college.
But he opened the door a bit for that possibility in Eugene.
"It's going to come down to how things are going for me," Bair said. "My first priority is being able to perform on the football field. If I'm doing well on the football field and everything is clicking, classes are good... and I feel like it won't take away from my production on the field, then absolutely."
"There's definitely a good possibility that I end up running track. I'd love to. I love track, so there's a possibility."
Oregon's 2024 recruiting class was already the best in program history, ranked No. 3 nationally, and solidifies that position with addition of Bair.
