Lincoln-Way East QB Jonas Williams, one of nation’s top recruits, verbally commits to Oregon

Jonas Williams made a massive move this summer when he transferred from Bolingbrook to Lincoln-Way East.

Saturday, he announced another major move, albeit one that’s two years away.

One of the top recruits in the nation for 2026 has made his verbal commitment. After previously narrowing down dozens of high-profile offers to four a few weeks ago, Williams confirmed on X that he’s committed to the University of Oregon. He chose the Ducks after narrowing his choices down to them, LSU, Ohio State and Alabama.

“Thank you to all of the coaches who recruited me throughout this process and offered me a chance to pursue my dreams at your school. I am grateful for every interaction and relationship that has been built. However, I will be committing to the University of Oregon. Sco ducks!!” Williams posted early Saturday afternoon.

Williams is one of the most exciting quarterback prospects in the state, and has been since his freshman year when he threw for 2,737 yards and 37 touchdowns at Bolingbrook. He followed that up with 3,196 yards and 33 touchdowns last season with the Raiders before transferring to Lincoln-Way East this summer. Given the Griffins’ track record, he should continue to put up gaudy numbers.

Those first two seasons earned the attention of virtually every college in the country. Those final four schools were just four of more than a dozen programs to offer Williams, including Michigan, Nebraska, Missouri and others. 247Sports.com ranks him as the No. 4 prospect in the state for 2026, the No. 8 QB in the nation and the No. 133 overall recruit in the country.

ESPN is even higher on Williams, ranking him as the No. 2 dual-threat QB in the nation, No. 3 in the state and No. 141 overall in the nation.

Williams, 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, is in a great position with the Griffins. Although they graduated a lot of offensive and defensive production, they return Miami (OH) commit Trey Zvonar at tight end, which should offer Williams a prime target. On defense, Northwestern commit Caden O’Rourke and Jacob Alexander (Michigan offer) are standouts.

The Griffins went 13-1 last year, losing in the state championship game for the second consecutive season. They’ll have Williams the next two seasons as he prepares for the next level.

As for the next level, Williams would’ve been in a fantastic position with any of the final four choices he made. LSU produced a pair of Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks and top three NFL draft picks in the past five years. Ohio State’s track record for NFL success and Big Ten success, including former QB CJ Stroud, stands out. And Alabama, well, is Alabama.

In the end, it was the Ducks who won out.

Oregon is coming off a 12-2 season with a victory in the Fiesta Bowl. Their two losses came by a combined total of six points to eventual national runner-up Washington. The Ducks have gone 22-5 since head coach Dan Lanning took over two years ago. Lanning has been one of the hottest names in coaching the past year, with rumors Alabama had targeted him to replace the retired Nick Saban this offseason.

The Tide ultimately hired Kalen DeBoer from Washington.

In addition to team success, Oregon has a history of developing quarterbacks. The Ducks built Justin Herbert into a top 10 NFL Draft pick in 2020, and just finished turning Bo Nix into the 12th overall pick by the Broncos this past April. Add in Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick Marcus Mariota, and there’s no surprise Williams decided to make Eugene the next destination.

Nike co-founder Phil Knight’s close ties to the program also have resulted in an abundance of NIL opportunities. Knight is a longtime athletic donor and an Oregon alum.

We’re still two years away from the 2026 season. Williams will be all-in with the Griffins and focused on the goal of winning the fourth state title in program history. For one weekend, though, there was surely a lot of celebrating in the Williams household. And in Eugene, Oregon.