The Oregon Ducks head into the 2026 college football season with some high expectations. Just how much should we buy into their chances?
Last season didn’t end the way that head coach Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks wanted, and they are now heading into the 2026 college football season with a ton of high expectations. With the likes of quarterback Dante Moore, defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, and defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington, among others, returning, this is clearly a team that believes it can make a run.
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To begin the offseason, ESPN ranked Oregon No. 5 in its way-too-early top-25. Mark Schlabach redid that ranking, moving the Ducks up to No. 2 following the buzz and takeaways from spring practices. There is clearly something about this team that has Schlabach buying in.
Here is what Schlabach wrote about Oregon and what makes him believe that they are the second-best team in college football.
2025 record: 13-2, 8-1 Big Ten
Previous ranking: 5
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Key players lost: WR Malik Benson, OT Isaiah World, G Emmanuel Pregnon, TE Kenyon Sadiq, LB Bryce Boettcher, S Dillon Thieneman
Key additions: QB Dylan Raiola (Nebraska), OT Michael Bennett III (Yale), S Koi Perich (Minnesota), WR Iverson Hooks (UAB), S Carl Williams IV (Baylor), OT Immanuel Iheanacho (high school)
2026 outlook: After falling flat in the CFP for the second year in a row, the Ducks got an unexpected boost when quarterback Dante Moore — a potential top pick in the NFL draft — decided to return. They’ll have two new coordinators after Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi left for head coaching jobs at Kentucky and Cal, respectively. Coach Dan Lanning promoted Drew Mehringer to offensive coordinator and Chris Hampton to defensive coordinator. The Ducks should be solid on defense after All-Big Ten selections A’Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti decided to return, along with defensive tackle Bear Alexander. Perich was one of the best safeties in the FBS.
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Why you should buy into Oregon
Whenever you have a talented quarterback returning, you are a team that is going to receive some hype. Barring injuries, Moore will have a lot of talent to throw to. The defense might be even better than the offense, bringing back a long list of impact defenders.
The most impressive part about Oregon is how diverse a team they are, and can be. On offense, they have the running back room to lean on teams, and the quarterback to be pass-heavy when there is a need. The same is the case on defense, having notable players to affect the run and passing game.
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What could hold the Ducks back?
Under Coach Lanning, we have seen Oregon struggle in some of its biggest games. Whether that is just a coincidence or a flaw of the program, they will need to find a fix for that issue. Outside of those big game woes, the Ducks are mostly rebuilding their offensive line from a season ago, which is never a great thing to overhaul in a single offseason.
