ESPN 100 senior Johnathan Lawson announced his commitment to Oregon on Wednesday, giving Dana Altman his second top-50 pledge in the 2021 class.
Lawson is the youngest of the Lawson basketball family, which has produced four high-major college basketball players. Dedric and K.J. started their careers at Memphis before transferring to Kansas, with K.J. ending his career at Tulane. Chandler will be a sophomore at Oregon this season and will likely still be in Eugene when Johnathan arrives on campus in 2021.
Lawson, a small forward from Wooddale High School (Tennessee), chose Oregon over a final list that included Vanderbilt, Alabama, Arkansas and Iowa State.
Ranked No. 47 in the ESPN 100, Lawson is the No. 10 small forward in the class.
"He's one of the better passers in the high school game," ESPN national recruiting director Paul Biancardi said. "A true facilitator who demonstrates the ability to make others better, Lawson's great positional size, handle and vision allows him to be a dangerous playmaker. When it comes to scoring, he produces from a variety of spots on the floor, which gives him versatility. His outside shot is capable but needs work. His defensive length is also a major plus at this stage of his career."
Lawson is the second ESPN 100 commitment in the 2021 class for Altman and Oregon, following Nate Bittle's pledge last month. Bittle is the No. 2 center and No. 8 player overall in 2021. The Ducks are involved with a number of top-tier prospects in the class, led by No. 4 Jaden Hardy, the younger brother of Oregon guard Amauri Hardy.