Five-star safety signee Trey McNutt shares excited journey to Oregon just in time for the Rose Bowl

Five-star safety Trey McNutt is one of the highest-rated prospects in Oregon's 2025 class, alongside multiple other five-star signees. The standout from Shaker Heights High School (Ohio) signed with the Ducks during the early signing period on Dec. 4 and arrived in Eugene on Friday.

McNutt’s arrival coincides with the No. 1 Ducks preparing for the Rose Bowl clash with No. 8 Ohio State on New Year's Day. The safety wasted no time settling in and shared a snapshot on Thursday of his arrival at the school on his Instagram story.

Trey McNutt will have the chance to practice under coach Dan Lanning, whom he praised highly ahead of his commitment, saying, (via On3):

“Coach (Lanning), his passion and how he is as a coach, he’s just different. I can see that they’re building the program up and they’re trying to get a national championship. They want it over there.”

Oregon's 2025 class ranks No. 3 in the nation with 20 signed players. Besides McNutt, 11 other early enrollees joined the preparation before the Rose Bowl, including four-star quarterbacks Akili Smith Jr. and Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele, running back Jordon Davison, wide receiver Cooper Perry and tight end Vander Ploog.

The defensive side is equally formidable with the presence of signees like outside linebackers Nasir Wyatt and Matthew Johnson, as well as cornerback Dorian Brew.

Trey McNutt recruits five-star CB Elbert Hill to Oregon's 2026 class

Trey McNutt is taking an active role in recruiting other top prospects, including Elbert Hill, a five-star cornerback in the 2026 class. On Friday, McNutt and Hill connected via FaceTime, with Hill sharing a snapshot of their conversation on X, writing:

"You said Sco fam @trey_mcnutt 🦆👀."

McNutt retweeted the post with the caption:

"SCO🦆."

Hill is the nation's No. 1 cornerback in the 2026 class and also the top recruit in Ohio, as per ESPN and Rivals. Securing him in Oregon's 2026 class will be a major recruiting win for Dan Lanning.

Oregon has a 1.5% chance of securing Hill's commitment, while the in-state Ohio State Buckeyes are the leader in his recruitment with an 81.5% chance. However, Trey McNutt also belongs to Ohio, but he preferred Oregon over the in-state Buckeyes, and Hill can follow his suit as well.

Besides that, Oregon’s current standing as the No. 1 recruiting class for 2026 may also tempt Hill to reconsider his options, and committed Ducks players like McNutt would do their job of pursuing him behind the door.