Five-star 2026 tight end Kendre' Harrison, No. 6 in the ESPN Junior 300, announced his commitment to Oregon on Saturday afternoon, landing as the eighth and highest-ranked member of the Ducks' impressive recruiting class.
A multisport star from Reidsville, North Carolina, Harrison also plans to play basketball at Oregon, joining coach Dana Altman's 2026 class as the No. 39 overall prospect and No. 8 power forward in the cycle. Harrison announced his pledge to the Ducks on Instagram on Saturday during a ceremony at Reidsville High School.
At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Harrison is ESPN's top-ranked tight end prospect in the Junior 300 and sits behind only five-star Ohio State wide receiver pledge Chris Henry Jr. (No. 1 in the Junior 300) as the second-ranked skill position player in the class. His commitment to Oregon follows a flurry of campus visits this fall, with Harrison ultimately picking the Ducks over finalists Tennessee, North Carolina, Miami, Penn State and Florida State.
Harrison took multiple trips to Oregon throughout his recruitment -- most recently for the Ducks' Oct. 12 win over Ohio State -- building close connections with coach Dan Lanning and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer. As Harrison reached the end of his recruitment, he told ESPN that those relationships helped swing his pledge to the Ducks, noting specifically the support he received from Oregon following the recent loss of his grandmother.
"The relationship I've built with the school is good," Harrison said. "I trust them. My family trusts them. I've been in the recruiting process since I was in the eighth grade. They did the little things in the recruitment that mattered."
A powerful low-post presence on the basketball court, Harrison carries elite size and playmaking ability that will make him a versatile college football player and a potential red zone nightmare for opposing defenses at the next level. Following a summer transfer to Providence Day School in Charlotte, Harrison returned in September to Reidsville High School, where he had spent the first two years of his high school career.
Harrison is the top prospect in Lanning's 2026 class, which includes seven total pledges from the Junior 300.
Harrison is set to land on campus with four-star running back Tradarian Ball (No. 76 in the Junior 300) and four-star dual-threat passer Jonas Williams (No. 140), both of whom committed to the Ducks over the summer. Oregon's 2026 class also includes a pledge from fifth-ranked offensive tackle prospect Kodi Greene (No. 33) and commitments from top-300 defensive tackles Tomuhini Topui (No. 60), Tony Cumberland (No. 77) and Viliami Moala (No. 225).
Oregon's men's basketball program made Harrison an offer in July following his visit to campus during the Ducks' Saturday Night Live recruiting event. He is the first member of Altman's 2026 recruiting class.
"I feel like I'm going to be developed there," Harrison said. "I've got two really great coaching staffs. I'm excited, and I'm ready to get to work."
Oregon approaches the start of the three-day early signing period on Wednesday with ESPN's sixth-ranked recruiting class in the 2025 cycle. The top-ranked Ducks host Washington to close the regular season Saturday night with a spot in the Dec. 7 Big Ten championship game already secured.