Next season is going to be a transitional year for the Oregon Ducks football team with a lot of new faces at important positions will be in place. Transitional doesn’t mean the Ducks need to sacrifice the success they’ve enjoyed recently.
According to On3.com, a pair of Oregon Ducks are primed to have breakout seasons in 2025. Quarterback Dante Moore, the prohibitive favorite to replace Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, and running back Makhi Hughes, a transfer from Tulane, has the chance to replace Jordan James as the starting tailback.
Hughes’ success in 2025 could go a long way towards the team’s success as a good running game would take the pressure off of Moore at quarterback.
“A day after Oregon lost leading rusher Jordan James to the NFL Draft, the Ducks landed Tulane transfer Hughes. If you’re not a big consumer of Group of 5 football, Hughes finished ninth among FBS running backs with 1,401 rushing yards,” On3.com writer Ari Wasserman said. “He also scored 17 total touchdowns. He rushed for more yards than any running back returning to college football in 2025. One of the most impactful players in this year’s portal cycle, Hughes joins a loaded Oregon offense that figures to be every bit as explosive as they’ve been under Dan Lanning. He’s going to have a monster season.”
As for Moore, Oregon has a lot of confidence in the redshirt sophomore. He left UCLA knowing that he would sit and learn behind Gabriel in order to have the chance to play every week that he has now. Moore still has a lot to prove, however.
“There are some question marks as it pertains to whether Moore is ever going to reach his ceiling after being a five-star prospect in the 2023 cycle. That’s what happens to any big-time player who transfers. Moore initially signed with UCLA and played quite a bit as a true freshman before transferring to Oregon despite knowing he wouldn’t be the starter in Eugene immediately,” Wasserman said. “Some viewed that as a mature decision you don’t usually see from players in Moore’s position. Now the presumed starter at Oregon now that Dillon Gabriel’s time is up, Moore has a chance to be the player his recruiting profile promised after developing behind the scenes for a year.”
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Pair of Oregon Ducks tabbed as major breakout candidates in 2025
