Miami Hurricanes lose out on 4-star wide receiver to Oregon Ducks

The Miami Hurricanes came into the 2026 recruiting class battle hoping to land a high-impact wide receiver but on Friday, four-star WR Messiah Hampton out of Rochester, NY, announced his commitment to Oregon. He chose the Ducks over Miami, Syracuse and others.

Standing at 6‑foot‑1 and 187 lbs, Hampton is rated among the top receivers nationally. He is ranked No. 7 at the position and No. 48 overall in On3 rankings. Hampton racked up nearly 1,900 all-purpose yards and 21 scores as a junior, earning first-team All‑State honors in New York.

Miami and Syracuse made serious late pushes after Hampton’s spring visits, but the relationship he built with Oregon's new wide receivers coach Ross Douglas, who was formerly at Syracuse, proved to be important. Hampton said he chose Oregon because “the staff showed I was a priority and they were invested in me." That strong bond, and Oregon’s trajectory under Dan Lanning, gave the Ducks a leg up.

With the addition of Hampton, the Ducks moved ahead of the Hurricanes in the On3 Industry Rankings for the 2026 recruiting class. Oregon is now No. 8 and Miami sits at No. 9.

Miami is currently going through another big weekend of recruiting visits. Five-star Miami Northwestern wide receiver Calvin Russell, 4-star prospects RB Joe Lamar, WR Zion Robinson, TE Israel Biggs and 3-star WR Tyran Evans are the skill players coming to Coral Gables.

Russell is the 21st prospect, 3rd WR and 2nd player in Florida, according to 247sports. Robinson is the No. 132 ranked recruit and 19th player in Texas. Briggs is ranked No. 143 and as the 7th TE in the country. Evans is a Tennessee commit who is the 80th WR and 23rd overall player in North Carolina. Lamar is the 8th RB in the nation and 12th player in the state of Georgia.