ST. JOSEPH, Ill. (WAND) - Cam Wagner, one of the top high school football recruits in Illinois, has announced his commitment to continue his academic and athletic career at Oregon.

At 6-foot-6 and around 300 pounds, the 4-star recruit ranks as the #12 overall recruit in the state according to 247sports, while also ranking as a top-10 offensive line recruit in the nation.

"It means the world," Wagner said following the announcement. "I've been playing football since kindergarten here and I've just always known that I have wanted to go play college football. It's just a dream come true."

Cam decided on Oregon over other offers including Illinois, Notre Dame, and Wisconsin. He says he had the best relationships with the coaching staff at each of the final programs, as well as the other commitments to those teams. The selling point for the Ducks, Cam points out, was the energy surrounding the team.

"When I'm there, Oregon just feels different," Cam adds. "I'm fired up to be in the building and I'm fired up to go. Even though some days are gonna suck with 5am meetings or whatever like that, I'm excited that I'm able to do it at Oregon."

Since joining the Big Ten, the Ducks have been on the cusp of winning a national championship, competing at the highest levels of Division 1. In 2024, Oregon earned the top seed in the College Football Playoff and a First Round bye, but fell to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. During the 2025 season, the team earned the #5 seed and topped James Madison and Texas Tech in convincing fashion, before falling in the Peach Bowl to Indiana, the eventual national champions.

Despite coming up short of a title, the Ducks have performed well under head coach Dan Lanning. Cam feels the way he operates the program is genuine, and the offense is one that suits his strengths.

"He's a real dude, he'll give it to you straight," Wagner says. "He's not like a CEO, he's actually a coach... He's out there at practice on a microphone telling people what to do, coaching you up... He's the type of coach where if I have something wrong, like for example my dishwasher, I could say, 'Hey coach, do you know how to fix this?' And he would not look at me crazy."

During his junior year, Cam earned Maxpreps All-American second team honors in the Small Town class as an offensive tackle. He also qualified for the IHSA state wrestling tournament in Class 1A at 285 pounds, where he posted a record of 29-11.

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