5-Star EDGE Anthony Jones Commits to Oregon over Alabama, Texas A&M

Oregon football will receive a boost to its defense by bringing in one of the nation's top edge prospects in 2026.

Five-star edge rusher Anthony Jones is joining the Ducks as a member of the Class of 2026, he announced during a Thursday appearance on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show.

Jones was also considering Alabama and Texas A&M as final options.

"The way I know they can develop me... I just know they can get me to the next level," Jones told McAfee about Oregon on Thursday.

Listed at 6'3.5" and 240 pounds out of St. Paul's Episcopal in Mobile, Alabama, Jones is ranked as the No. 18 overall prospect and No. 4 edge rusher in the class by 247 composite rankings.

He recorded 84 tackles, including 18 tackles for loss, and 16 sacks in just 12 games of his junior high school season.

The rising high school senior has also established himself as one of the best track-and-field athletes in Alabama, where he won the state championship in discus and came in second for the shot-put title.

247Sports national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna described him as a "physically imposing pass rusher in possession of a high octane motor that allows him to generate pressures in both a two or three point stance while operating in an odd front."

"A polished defender with a sneaky athletic profile, Jones appears more geared to add value as a run defender early in his collegiate career while projecting as a high floor 3-4 OLB that can also add situational pass rush ability off the edge in obvious passing downs," Petagna wrote in May.

Jones' commitment marks a major win for Dan Lanning after his program lost out on five-star edge Richard Wesley, who de-committed from the Ducks to join Texas this summer.

Texas A&M, which was reportedly in the running for Wesley, will miss out on another top edge prospect.

Alabama will meanwhile fall short of securing a commitment from the top player in the state, although the Crimson Tide still boasts the most 2026 five-star recruits in the nation with five in the class so far, per 247Sports.

Jones can now join safety Jett Washington, tight end Kendre Harrison and offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho as five-star recruits set to join the Ducks in 2026.

Those commitments might not be the last high-profile prospects the Ducks bring in this summer. Four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin and four-star defensive lineman Deuce Geralds are both set to announce their commitments on Saturday, and both have the Ducks listed among their final choices.

Lanning will hope Jones' commitment could help sway either player to join the Ducks ahead of the 2026 season.