Immanuel Iheanacho: Why Nigeria’s Former Interior Minister Is Suddenly Trending — Everything You Need to Know

EUGENE, Ore. — Five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho ended months of recruiting drama Thursday by announcing his commitment to the Oregon Ducks, giving Dan Lanning yet another blue-chip cornerstone for his 2026 class. The 6-foot-6, 345-pound Georgetown Prep (North Bethesda, Md.) mauler is rated the nation’s No. 2 offensive tackle and No. 8 overall prospect in the 247Sports Composite, slotting in as Oregon’s highest-ranked line pledge since Penei Sewell. Iheanacho chose the Ducks over finalists LSU, Ohio State, and Georgia after taking official visits to each campus in June. “Coach Lanning’s vision, the player development, and the chance to protect elite quarterbacks in the Big Ten — that’s what sold me,” Iheanacho said during an ESPN segment unveiling an Oregon hat amid a shower of green and yellow confetti. Scouting reports praise his vine-like 35-inch arms, basketball-player footwork, and a mean streak that routinely plants defenders on highlight reels. As a junior he allowed zero sacks and racked up 47 pancake blocks while doubling as a defensive tackle in goal-line sets. Oregon’s 2026 haul now features three ESPN 300 five-stars — Iheanacho, tight end Kendre’ Harrison, and edge rusher Zion Graves — vaulting the Ducks to No. 2 nationally behind Georgia. The commitment also reinforces Lanning’s East-Coast pipeline, following recent DMV standouts Dante Dowdell and Nicholas Harbor. From a roster standpoint, Iheanacho projects as a day-one contender at left tackle once current starter Ajani Cornelius exhausts eligibility in 2025. His arrival should anchor an offensive line tasked with protecting blue-chip quarterbacks Luke Moga and Michael Van Buren against rugged Big Ten fronts and newly expanded College Football Playoff stakes. The decision marks a recruiting gut-punch for LSU, which had pitched an NIL package rumored to exceed seven figures, and for Ohio State, long considered the favorite after hosting Iheanacho at the Buckeyes’ spring game. Next up, the Ducks will look to pair their new bookend with in-state four-star guard Sione Faaope and flip Alabama commit Marcus Harrison to complete what could be the program’s best offensive line class in modern history. For now, though, Duck fans can celebrate adding a trench titan whose name has been surging across social media ever since he flashed the “O” on national television.