AC Flora standout Azel Banag picks Big Ten school on signing day
Azel Banag had some suspense heading into the first day of the early signing period.
The AC Flora High defensive back ended the intrigue by announcing he was signing with Oregon at a ceremony held Wednesday morning at the school.
Banag picked the Ducks over Duke, Georgia Tech, Northwestern and Wisconsin. And he had a little fun for his announcement.
With all the finalists’s hats on a table, he picked up each hat individually before setting them down and circling back, grabbing the Oregon hat and revealing an Oregon hoodie under his jacket.
“I love what Oregon had to offer,” Banag said. “I love them in terms of how I am going to develop. I love the coaching staff and they just love football. I want to go somewhere and ball with the best.”
Banag said his final decision wasn’t made until around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday . He informed the Ducks of his plans, as well as his other final schools.
The announcement ended a busy couple months for Banag, who previously committed to Harvard but opened up his recruitment. He took trips to all of his final schools, plus Auburn, and got interest from other Power 4 programs.
Banag visited Oregon last month and called the visit “futuristic” and “super high tech.”
“I loved it out there. It felt like home,” Banag said. “I am thankful that Harvard gave an opportunity of a lifetime. Then during the season, I tried to do the best I could and put in the work. I was blessed with the opportunity from Oregon and all those other schools. I am thankful for the opportunity to be at this point in my life.”
Banag will be an early enrollee and will head to Oregon in the spring. The college is on a quarter system, and the spring quarter starts on March 30 with spring practice beginning after that.
With Banag’s signing, it moves Oregon to No. 2 in the Class of 2026 recruiting rankings by 247Sports. The Ducks are ranked No. 3 by On3.
247Sports Composite ranks the 6-foot, 177-pound Banag as a three-star prospect and No. 17 in the state for the Class of 2026. He had a big year for the Falcons’ defense and finished with 75 tackles and a team-high five interceptions.
Banag also saw some action on offense for Flora, catching 10 passes for 163 yards and four total touchdowns. He likely will be a slot cornerback in college for the Ducks.
AC Flora coach Ken Floyd called Banag the epitome of hard work and will always use his story in the future to motivate his players. Floyd talked about Banag’s development from unknown prospect to player signing with one of the country’s top programs.
“He has come here and grinded,” Floyd said. “Everything he has achieved is because of hard work. He came from a kid who was undersized, overlooked and just grinded his way to the place he is at. I am super excited for him.”
Banag comes from a football background. His father, Yvan Banag, played defensive back for South Carolina from 2005-08. There also was a Gamecock connection in his recruitment as Oregon defensive backs coach Chris Hampton was Yvan’s teammate at USC. Hampton has a chance to be promoted to the Ducks’ defensive coordinator with Oregon DC Tosh Lupoi taking the head coaching job at Cal.
Banag is the latest S.C. product to play for the Ducks, joining Hammond’s Jordan Burch (2023-24) and Newberry High’s Jamere Caldwell (2024). But both players, who are now in the NFL, transferred from another schools before landing at Oregon. It wasn’t immediately known who the last S.C. player was to sign with the Ducks right out of high school.
Oregon has become a national powerhouse over the past two decades, making two college football appearances and becoming a lock to make another one this season. The Ducks also are known for their affiliation with Nike owner Phil Knight and their many uniform combinations.
“It will be great now. I will be decked out in Nike,” Banag joked.
Banag was one of three A.C. Flora players signing on Wednesday. Receiver Blake Betette signed with Dartmouth and defensive back Kevin Daniels signed with Livingstone College.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 9:51 AM.
