With Dan Lanning paving the way, Oregon is entering an era of NIL-fueled success, taking the program to new heights with strong recruiting and on-field performance. Lanning dove headfirst into the transfer portal and hit the recruiting trail hard to reload for 2024, replacing a slew of departed stars. Now, with more holes to fill from last season’s roster, Lanning’s banking on another group of newcomers to keep the Ducks flying high.
Here’s where Oregon stands as the 2025 season creeps closer.
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2024 in review
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) stiff arms Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy (7) on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, during the Big Ten Championship game between the Oregon Ducks and the Penn State Nittany Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Lanning’s third year in Eugene was special. The Ducks racked up 12 regular season wins – their best showing since 2010 – snagged a Big Ten title and punched a ticket to the College Football Playoff. They earned the No. 1 overall seed before coming up short in a rematch against Ohio State. Even with a brutal Big Ten slate, Lanning had Oregon looking like a national contender up until the end.
Head coach profile
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, center, waits to take the field with his team for their game against Oregon State at Autzen Stadium Friday, Nov. 24, 2023.
Lanning’s got a fiery edge, and he’s built Oregon into a machine. In three years with the Ducks, he’s 35-6, mixing a high-octane offense with a defense that hits like a freight train. His “stay hungry” mantra has Eugene buzzing with dreams of a title, and he’s got the financial backing from megabooster Phil Knight to get there. Before he traveled west, he was calling defenses at Georgia, helping them lock up national championships in 2021 and 2022.
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Top offensive players
Oregon Ducks Spring Game 2025
Offensive linemen Isaiah World and Emmanuel Pregnon, who transferred in from Nevada and USC, respectively, will anchor the left side of the offensive line and both have All-Big Ten potential. World is viewed as a first-round talent and has three seasons of starting experience, while Pregnon didn’t allow a sack while starting all 13 games for the Trojans last season.
Top defensive players
Sep 28, 2024; Pasadena, California, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei (10) and defensive lineman A’Mauri Washington (52) during the fourth quarter against the UCLA Bruins at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei returns for his junior season after recording 38 tackles and a whopping 10.5 sacks in 2024. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, Uiagalelei is a physical freak with first-round draft potential. Additionally, transfer safety Dillon Thieneman arrives from Purdue after back-to-back 100-tackle seasons to start his college career. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 1 safety transfer of the cycle and he’s another player with first-round potential.
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2025 schedule
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Aug. 30 vs. Montana State
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Sept. 6 vs. Oklahoma State
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Sept. 20 vs. Oregon State
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Nov. 14 (Fri.) vs. Minnesota
Oregon’s September trip to Penn State has game-of-the-year potential, pitting two projected top-five teams against each other in a prime-time White Out. The Ducks haven’t played in Beaver Stadium since 1964 (the stadium has changed quite a bit since), and with Penn State’s nasty defense going up against the Ducks’ explosive offense, it’ll make for a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s conference title game, which both teams will be trying to return to this season.
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Scouting the Oregon Ducks ahead of 2025
