THURSDAY,
PRESEASON EDITION
LARGER THAN LIFE
This year, Oregon will replace four of its five offensive line starters. These Ducks say they’re more confident — and connected — than ever.
GAMEDAY, The Daily Emerald’s football edition, is published by Emerald Media Group, Inc., the independent nonprofit news company at the University of Oregon founded in 1900.
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(On The Cover) Oregon center Iapani Laloulu (72) stands on the sidelines after the conclusion of the game. The University of Oregon Ducks Football team played the Ohio State University Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl at Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1, 2025, where they lost 41-21.
(Max Unkrich/Emerald)
(Above) Defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell (55) celebrating after a monstrous 11 yard sack, pushing Michigan State deep into their own territory. University of Oregon takes on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Eugene, Oct. 4th 2024.
(Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
CAN YOU REALLY KNOW?
What does history tell us about Dante Moore’s chances for success?
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Sports Writer
The preseason is the perfect time for players to be in 'the best shape of their lives,' every position to be 'up for grabs' and fans to overreact to every practice clip they get their eyes on.
Simply put, it’s hard to fully grasp how a player might perform going forward, much less the one position everyone cares about — quarterback.
To help clear the water that cliches and platitudes dilute, The Daily Emerald has taken a look back at old Oregon Media Days to figure out if anything real can be determined from Dan Lanning and company's words about Dante Moore.
THE OBVIOUS STARS
The consensus knew what Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel would likely be before either took a snap at Oregon. With Nix, it was expected that then offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham would unlock his potential (which he did), and Gabriel, well, was always the guy — with coaches and players saying so from the start.
THE UNDERACHIEVERS
Rare omissions from Oregon’s recent quarterback success, Tyler Shough and Anthony Brown both struggled in the first years following the Justin Herbert era.
However, despite his eventual performance, then-head coach Mario Cristobal was complimentary of Shough in Oregon’s virtual 2020 Media Day.
Cristobal praised Shough during Oregon’s virtual 2020 Pac-12 Football Media Day. “In spring ball, he got off to a great, great start. He has a natural just field presence; he has a commanding presence out there.”
However, that optimism in Shough faltered after a season, with Cristobal deciding to start Brown — who had the lowest Oregon QBR over the past 14 years in his one year as a starter in Eugene — instead.
With Vernon Adams Jr. and Justin Herbert — two reasonable comparisons for Moore given his competition with Austin Novosad — it was seemingly obvious how the quarterback competition would go.
he found that “every game, he was the best player on the field.”
An anomaly in college football as a whole, the four-star quarterback from Hawaii is without a doubt the greatest quarterback in Oregon history.
MARCUS MARIOTA
Few outside the Ducks’ building saw Mariota’s success coming before a breakout 2012 spring game for the redshirt freshman quarterback served as a showcase party for the next three years.
“I was convinced (Mariota) was going to be the guy,” then-assistant coach Gary Campbell said of Mariota to The Athletic. “We had closed practices, so people never got the chance to see him. But I did. I saw him.”
Head coaches will always back their guy, with Dan Lanning proving to be no different as a primary voice in Nix’s and Gabriel’s Heisman runs.
WHERE DOES MOORE FALL IN?
Looking to Herbert and Adams as reasonable comparisons for Moore makes sense for Ducks fans, as both were incredibly talented but needed some additional refining — something Oregon has done well historically.
For what it’s worth, though, former Oregon receiver Tez Johnson was incredibly complimentary of Moore at the 2025 Rose Bowl Media Day.
“He’ll be a Heisman finalist next year,” Johnson said. “100% — it’s something you haven’t seen yet. That boy can throw a ball like no other. I’ve never seen nothing like it.”
Regardless of being able to read through the lines that narratives and social media create, there are worse places for Oregon to be than entering the season with a former 5-star quarterback — especially one who just spent a year learning an offense that has turned in two Heisman-finalist seasons in two years.
Coaches almost always tend to lean toward the more talented option, with Oregon receivers coach Matt Lubick saying to USAToday that in his scouting of Adams,
(LEFT) Backup quarterback, Dante Moore, walks into the Rose Bowl for the first time since transferring out from UCLA where he was set to start. The Oregon Ducks took on the UCLA Bruins in its first Big Ten Conference game in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2024. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)
FRONT LINE FIREPOWER
The Ducks
defensive
line
gets ready to face FCS powerhouse Montana State University.
BY HARRY LEADER Sports Writer
In many sports, the best offense is a great defense and in football the best defenses start at the very front. From pressuring the quarterback to plowing through gaps in the line, defensive linemen are front and center in any defense.
The Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning will test their defensive line early against Montana State University’s strong rushing offense in week 1.
In last year’s undefeated Big Ten debut, the Ducks were ranked No. 38 for best rushing defense. This gave them victories against tough teams like University of Idaho and Boise State University where the offense struggled to get started early.
Last season, the Ducks were able to keep running backs like Quinshon Judkins (Ohio State) and Jonah Coleman (Washington) to low yardage, both of whom were ranked in the top 50 in rushing yards.
Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi have built a tradition of strong defensive lines, which is expected to continue going into the 2025 season.
During the offseason, Bear Alexander joined the Ducks after deciding to leave USC midseason which was, according to several sources, due to issues with the coaching staff. Alexander’s ability to clog running lanes and pressure quarterbacks makes him a strong option at nose tackle.
Another option at nose tackle is junior A’Mauri Washington who appeared in all 14 games and recorded 10 total tackles and two pass breakups. Washington, now a veteran in the defensive line room, credits 2024 Oregon NFL Draft picks Jamaree Caldwell and Derrick Harmon with improving his game.
“Watching them, I feel like they used to really play the run real good last year; like JC (Caldwell), the way he used to corkscrew on blocks like it was unbelievable,” Washington said at a press conference on April 10. “DJ (Harmon), the way he (would) just get vertical on blocks or anything like that, like you just taking stuff like that adding that to my game I feel like it’s pretty nice.”
Watching them, I feel like they used to really play the run real good last year; like JC (Caldwell), the way he used to corkscrew on blocks like it was unbelievable “ “
- A’Mauri Washington Defensive Lineman
On the outside of the line, edge rushers such as juniors Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti look to support the tackles and rack up sacks. Tuioti had 58 total tackles and 5.5 sacks last season. Uiagalelei dominated on defense last season recording
9.5 sacks (making him the Big Ten leader), 37 total tackles and a game winning interception against Wisconsin.
It’s players like these that Dan Lanning and the Ducks will look toward in week 1, when they face Montana State.
The Bobcats had the second ranked Football Championship Subdivision rushing offense and ranked No. 1 in least tackles for loss allowed. They relied heavily on their run last season and that took them to the FCS National Championship, where they lost 35-32 against North Dakota State.
When a team can find that much success in their run game, you can bet they’ll continue to do so going into this season. With the departure of dual threat quarterback Tommy Mellott, the Bobcats lost one of their best run options, but their starting running back Adam Jones is a threat in the backfield.
Last season, Jones ranked No. 21 in the FCS in rushing yards and even ran for 167 yards and scored two touchdowns against New Mexico. His speed and route running abilities make him dangerous against any defense, including the Ducks.
Oregon will have to emphasize cutting off the inside run against Jones who is often able to take advantage of poor interior defensive linemen. With players like Washington and Alexander on the inside of the Ducks defensive line, Jones is going to have a tough time breaking through.
The Bobcats offensive line returns with most of their starters from last season, but the loss of starting left tackle Connor Moore to the transfer portal exposes a potential weakness for the Ducks edge rushers to exploit. While an inexperienced left tackle could lead to more blindside sacks, Montana State ranked No. 3 in the FCS and last year in sacks allowed with 11.
(ABOVE) Oregon’s Matayo Uiagaleli (10) celebrates after assisting on a sack. The Ducks took on Michigan State University at Autzen Stadium, Oct. 4, 2024.
(Eddie Bruning/Emerald)
AMID INJURY LAYOFFS, TRANSFERS, OREGON
OFFENSIVE LINE THRIVES ON CONNECTION
What makes the Ducks’ revamped room tick?
Even from across the room in the south concourse of Autzen Stadium, Matthew Bedford looks big. The two-story ceiling and ten-foot backdrops do little to shrink the frame of the 6’6’’, 315-pound offensive lineman as he climbs up the escalator and through double glass doors. By the time he makes it in front of the microphone, he’s doubled in stature.
“Man, I’m doing great,” he says.
His deep laugh almost matches his size.
Under head coach Dan Lanning and offensive line coach A’lique Terry, Oregon’s quarterback protectors have been named finalists for the Joe Moore Award — given to the best group in college football — two times in three years.
One year after center Jackson Powers-Johnson won the Rimington Award in 2023 as the nation’s best at his position and was selected in the first round of the NFL Draft, four of the Ducks’ five starters moved onto professional pastures. The group that dwarfs the microphones for the first day of the 2025 season has no lack of experience — just an appetite for connection.
“ “
I’m grateful for the position I’m in, and that comes with whatever — any shenanigans. I try to be as fun as possible. I don’t like having a stoic demeanor. I like just bringing happiness and joy everywhere I go
- Isaiah World Offensive Lineman
Bedford entered a year ago from Indiana but sat out most of 2024 with an injury. The new crew, Alex Harkey (tackle, Texas State University), Isaiah World (tackle, University of Nevada, Reno) and Emmanuel Pregnon (guard, USC), step into immediate starting places. The only returning starter, center Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu, said early that he has his eyes on the Rimington, too. They’re backed up by a mixture of experience (Charlie Pickard and Dave Iuli) and talent waiting for a chance (Genorris Wilson, Fox Crader and Kawika Rogers).
They’re ten men deep in connection. They had personality last year, too, but it didn’t translate immediately to the field.
With Powers-Johnson gone to the NFL Draft after a year where his program led the nation in fewest sacks allowed, Oregon had a void in the middle of its line for the first time
since Lanning and Terry arrived. They filled it, at first, with a mixture of Pickard and Laloulu.
It didn’t stick. Oregon gave up more sacks (7) in its first two games against the University of Idaho and Group of Five (albeit eventual College Football Playoff qualifier) Boise State University than it did during the entire 2023 season. Transfer starter Dillon Gabriel, for all of his experience, couldn’t get comfortable while the Ducks snuck through home wins over the Vandals and Broncos, 24-14 and 37-34, respectively.
This year, it’s the opposite. There’s only one player who remains from last year’s group of starters. He’s not usually the vocal type, Laloulu said, but that had to change this year. He’s the veteran now, and he had to learn to get out of his comfort zone.
The ability to call teammates out starts with connection. That part came easily, the center saw. He calls Pregnon “E-Man.” He talks about how he’s grown as a leader, as the guy who pulls them all together. He already introduces World to the media as “one funny dude.” They’re together off the field, too.
When one funny dude walks into the media scrum at a listed 6’8’’, 315 pounds (he says he’s 320), there’s not much that can move him.
Isaiah World spent almost seven minutes talking about his ability to block out the noise and his respect for Oregon strength coach Wilson Love and the weight room before he cracked a smile at the suggestions that he’s the line’s biggest personality.
“I’m just happy, mostly,” World said. “I’m grateful for the position I’m in, and that comes with whatever — any shenanigans. I try to be as fun as possible. I don’t like having a stoic demeanor. I like just bringing happiness and joy everywhere I go.”
On the field, the happiness and joy flows when an edge rusher gets shut down. He was an All-Mountain West honorable mention last year in a season that had Terry asking how he slipped through the Power Four cracks.
“The skillset he has is already rare,” Terry said. “But the way he’s attacked learning our system, learning our calls… he deserves everything that’s coming for him.”
It’s how transfers blend in. There’s two more who’ll take starting roles on Oregon’s line this year: Alex Harkey and Emmanuel Pregnon.
Pregnon, the 6’5’’ redshirt-senior guard, has played a game in Eugene before — but
as a Trojan. His 14 total pressures allowed in two seasons at USC made him the right man for Oregon’s left guard slot. Terry and Laloulu both talk about his freakish size and reach. Back in the spring, he talked about stepping away from “the apathetic mindset” and finding a team groove to get that connection.
Opposite World on the line is Harkey, the G5 transfer from a high-powered Texas State offense that ranked seventh in FBS in points per game and averaged 208.2 rushing yards last season.
After rising from junior college to Colorado and Texas State, Harkey nailed down his position as the starting right tackle in San Marcos, Texas en route to a third team All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2024. By the time he began fall camp in Eugene, he’d drawn impressive comparisons.
“He has that bluntness of Shane Lemieux,” Terry said. “But he’s also got that gameday mentality that I haven’t seen since Penei’s (Sewell) been here. When it’s gameday, he turns a switch on.”
Lemieux and Sewell were both first-team All Americans at Oregon. Sewell, who allowed just one sack over his two seasons as a Duck, remains the highest-drafted lineman to ever play his home games at Autzen Stadium.
For Bedford, it could be déjà vu. When he moved to Eugene last year, the belief was that it would be his final season of college football. The knee injury changed that, of course, and the now redshirt-senior from Memphis, Tenn. had to re-examine his plan of attack on the NFL Draft.
This year, he’s projected to start at right guard for the Ducks, tasked with anchoring a revamped rushing attack. When Terry was asked about him at his first press conference of fall camp, he went straight from the injury to its benefits.
“He became such a great leader,” Terry said from the podium. “There were times he couldn’t travel (last year) — it didn’t matter. Up until the time we left, he was helping young guys with the install, watching film… it pays dividends.”
When Bedford gets on the field, he’s playing with another year of experience — one he didn’t expect to have.
“Honestly, if anything, it made me more grateful for where I’m at,” he said.
This group is connected. Laloulu sees it. Terry, who calls it “a blessing” that the group was able to connect in the spring instead of in fall camp, sees it. Autzen Stadium is the only group left who hasn’t.
“We don’t like to dwell on the past,” Laloulu said. “Last year, it was bad. Even for me, I know it was bad, but we’re focusing on this season with a new group, attacking it from day one.”
He’s the leader now. He sets the tone.
“It’s easy to think of the worst-case scenarios,” he said.
“But sometimes you’ve just got to let it go, not worry about the outside noise and just… you know, play.”
(Anna Liv Myklebust/Emerald)
(BELOW) Matthew Bedford (77) warms up before the start of the Ducks annual Spring Game, April. 26, 2025. (Anna Liv Myklebust/ Emerald)
(LEFT) Offensive line coach, A'lique Terry, celebrates Tez Johnson's (15) second touchdown of the game. The Oregon Ducks took on the UCLA Bruins in its first Big Ten Conference game in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2024.
ELEVEN DUCKS EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Despite falling three spots in the preseason AP poll, from No. 3 in 2024 to No. 7, Oregon is well-represented on 2025 preseason awards watchlists.
BY HENRY LIGHT Sports Writer
When asked how much attention his team pays to preseason award watchlists, Dan Lanning was clear.
“Zero,” Lanning said. “It’s great when people are recognized, but I don’t think any of our guys sign up to win preseason awards.”
Still, the national recognition that Oregon garnered on preseason watchlists is a sign that the team has the talent to outperform its ranking.
Makhi Hughes
Walter Camp Player of the Year, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award
Hughes is coming into 2025 with national recognition after racking up American Athletic Conference accolades in his career at Tulane University. In 2023, he was named AAC Rookie of the Year, and he made the All-Conference first team in both of his seasons in New Orleans.
Hughes living up to the hype of the two player of the year awards and the Doak Walker Award — which is presented to the nation’s premier running back — could take some pressure off of Oregon’s new starters at quarterback, wide receiver and offensive line.
Noah Whittington
Doak Walker Award and Paul Hornung Award
Offensive coordinator Will Stein will have a lot to work with in the running back room with Whittington also appearing on the Doak Walker Award watchlist, as well as the Paul Hornung Award for most versatile player.
The redshirt junior has experience splitting the backfield, setting his current career high of 779 rushing yards behind Bucky Irving in 2022. If Oregon favors a more runheavy offense due to its inexperience at quarterback and Hughes’ talent, Whittington could see more carries and a breakout season.
Dante Moore
Walter Camp Player of the Year
Moore lands on the Walter Camp Player of the Year list in what would be his first season as a full-time starter.
Moore starting five games as a freshman at UCLA in 2023 and being a five-star recruit out of high school are reasons to believe that he is more equipped for the role than the average non-freshman first-year starter. Still, it would require both him and the team to significantly outperform expectations.
Dillon Thieneman
Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Jim Thorpe Award and Big Ten Preseason Honors
Thieneman’s track record in the Big Ten — taking home several freshman accolades in 2023 and leading all Big Ten defensive backs in tackles in 2024 — made him an easy pick for Big Ten Preseason Honors. He also appears on the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlists for defensive player of the year as well as the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the nation’s best defensive back.
Oregon lost both of its starting safeties from 2024, but got one of the best in the country through the transfer portal.
Matayo Uiagalelei
Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Big Ten Preseason Honors
Uiagalelei was a lock for Big Ten Preseason Honors after making the media’s All-Big Ten first team and the coaches’ second team last season. His breakout season also warranted national recognition, joining Thieneman on the defensive player of the year watchlists.
The national attention is indicative of Uiagalelei’s increased role in 2025, replacing fellow 2024 conference honoree Jordan Burch in Oregon’s pass rush. Coming off a conference-leading 10.5 sack season, any improvement would place him in award conversations.
Bryce Boettcher
Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award
After starting his trophy collection in his final baseball season, Boettcher added an All-Big Ten second team and the Burlsworth Trophy for best walk-on in what he thought was his final football season. Instead, the NCAA granted him an extra season of football eligibility, and he comes into the new season with national attention.
Boettcher is one of three Oregon players on both defensive player of the year watchlists, and also appears on the watchlist for the Butkus Award, presented to the nation’s best linebacker.
Devon Jackson Butkus Award
With one start under his belt in three seasons at Oregon, the redshirt sophomore will play a significantly bigger role in 2025. A 2024 season in which Jackson finished sixth on the team in total tackles is reason to believe that he will thrive with more playing time.
Kenyon Sadiq
John Mackey Award
Sadiq will be Oregon’s full-time starter at tight end in 2025 after splitting time with Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert last season. Sadiq caught 24 passes for 308 yards in 2024, and his increase in targets and Lanning and Stein’s use of the tight end position landed him on the watchlist for the John Mackey Award for most outstanding tight end in 2025.
Iapani Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon and Isaiah World Outland Trophy
Three Ducks appear on the watchlist for the Outland Trophy, which is presented to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman.
Laloulu is coming off a season in which he allowed zero sacks and ten total pressures in 12 games at center. He also appears on the preseason watchlist for the Rimington Trophy — presented to the nation’s premier center — for the second straight year.
Pregnon was named a Freshman All-American in his redshirt sophomore season at the University of Wyoming in 2022. He then transferred to USC where he started 25 games at left guard across 2023 and 2024.
World is coming off back-to-back All-Mountain West Honorable Mention seasons starting at left tackle for University of Nevada, Reno.
Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq (18) attempts to catch the ball but is short after pass interference from Ohio State's Davison Igbinosun (1). The number 3 ranked Oregon Ducks football team took on the number 2 ranked Ohio State University Buckeyes on Oct. 12, 2024, at Autzen Stadium. (Molly McPherson/Emerald)
THE NEXT GENERATION OF RUSHERS
BY MAX KOEBEL Sports Writer
A key backbone of a strong football team’s offense is its ability to run the ball. To be the most efficient at rushing takes great depth at the running back position. Oregon has thrived in that area in recent years. It has produced big name stars like Bucky Irving, as well as some younger prospects behind him who were able to step up last season. Irving was selected in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he quickly made a name for himself as a rookie.
The Ducks saw Jordan James step into the lead running back role last year. James ran for 1,267 yards on 233 carries and 15 touchdowns. His strongest performance came in week 6 against Michigan State, where he ran for 166 yards and a touchdown, with his longest run being 41 yards. James was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
This year, redshirt junior Makhi Hughes will make his debut in a Ducks uniform. Last season at Tulane University, Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards on 265 carries with 15 rushing touchdowns, and two receiving touchdowns. He transferred to Oregon after learning his half brother, Na’eem Offord had committed to the Ducks. Hughes’ best performance came in Tulane’s Week 9 matchup against North Texas, where he had 30 rushes for 195 yards and a touchdown.
Behind Hughes will be redshirt senior Noah Whittington, Oregon’s most tenured running back. Whittington had a strong first month in 2023 before tearing his ACL in Week 4 and missing the remainder of the season. He returned to the field ahead of schedule and was healthy all of last year. Although James got more in-game reps, Whittington still posted promising numbers, and his reps increased throughout the season.
He finished the year with 540 rushing yards and 136 receiving yards. Whittington was also involved in some highlight moments including a 100 yard kickoff return against Boise State, and bulldozing a defender to the ground at the goal line against Illinois.
“(Whittington) was really the one who talked to me the most throughout my process before coming here,” said running back Jay Harris. “He’s really been like a big brother to me and I’ve been able to come to him whenever I need to.”
Harris is another upperclassman expected to step into a bigger role in the running back room this year. He played in just four games last year, which qualified him for a red shirt. In those games, Harris rushed for 35 yards on 10 car ries and scored one touchdown. Harris spent his first two college seasons playing Division II football at Northwest Missouri State. There, he appeared in 20 games where he rushed for 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns on 333 carries.
“It’s helped me develop well,” Harris said. “They defi nitely set a path for Oregon having good running backs. The way those guys worked from what I’ve seen being here is the way you should work as a running back, and going into the season and taking some of the things they did here and implement it into my game.”
Another running back who looked up was Jayden Limar, who is entering his third season as a Duck.
“They taught me a lot,” Limar said, “just really to have fun with it. Don’t overthink, don’t be too serious, just have fun, play football just like you have your whole life.”
Last season, Limar recorded 71 rushing yards on 25 car ries, 71 receiving yards and a touchdown. He too will most likely see a larger role this season.
The most important aspect of any football roster is depth, and the Oregon running back room certainly has that with a group of young athletes ready to spend a lot of time in the end zone.
Who will step up next for Oregon at running back?
(LEFT TO RIGHT) Oregon running backs Jay Harris (22) and Noah Whittington (6)
Right: (Eddie Bruning/Emerald) Left: (Miles Cull/Emerald)
SPOTLIGHTING THE COORDINATORS
Three seasons into the Dan Lanning era, the Ducks currently employ two coordinators that have meshed with the head coach incredibly well throughout his time in Eugene.
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Editor
Coordinators often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. They’re often the ones designing plays, creating schemes and dictating a fair amount of the action on the field, but they’re never the ones in the spotlight.
Oregon’s Tosh Lupoi and Will Stein, the team’s defensive and offensive coordinators, respectively, are perfect examples of this phenomenon.
Lupoi spent five seasons as a defensive analyst and assistant at the University of Alabama, where he was a part of two CFP National Championship winning teams, before moving to the NFL in 2019. Lupoi spent three more seasons as a defensive line coach in the NFL before moving to Oregon in 2022 to become newly-hired Dan Lanning’s defensive coordinator.
Since then, Oregon’s defense has not missed a beat. The past two seasons, the Ducks have had at least a top 16 defense and have won double-digit games. Much was said about the program’s struggles adjusting to the Big Ten, which was lauded for its defense, but Lupoi has turned out just fine.
Much of that is due to the mentality that Lupoi — and Lanning for that matter — carries into each day.
“Everyday we’re going to approach this like day one. No focus is going to be put upon the poisonous pill of success of what we accomplished last season,” Lupoi said to GoDucks. “At the same time, we’re not bringing up the pill of depression either.”
Not getting emotions too high or low while also maintaining a consistent level of determination to get better each day is crucial to improvement for Lupoi. The experienced coach has also expressed how his actions can be infectious throughout the locker room, so he focuses on bringing the best energy.
“A poet (The Notorious B.I.G.) once said, ‘I’m going to treat everyday like I’m an intern,’ and that’s what I try to do and make it contagious for the staff and players as well,” Lupoi said to GoDucks.
On the offensive side, Stein has quickly emerged as one of the leading contenders for each open head coaching position in the past few offseasons, and for good reasons. Stein served as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of Texas at San Antonio for the 2022 season before moving to Oregon to become Lan-
ning’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.
In each of the two seasons that Stein has been in control of the offense, the Ducks have had a top 20 offense, which includes Oregon’s second-ranked team offense during the 2023 season. Stein has been able to transition between experienced quarterbacks Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel and has the opportunity to do it again with Dante Moore.
Stein, akin to Lupoi, shares a mentality with Lanning about taking each day as singular and its own unique opportunity to improve.
“You got to take every single day and play it like a game,” Stein said to GoDucks. “Every situation you have as a player or coach has to be game-like. We do so much situational football here that we feel like we’re in great shape when it gets to gameday.”
Throughout Lanning’s tenure, the coordinators and the staff as a whole have shown a collective mentality of consistency, patience and improvement, which leads to the Ducks being more prepared than the other team week in and week out.
As Lanning hopes to notch double-digit wins for the fourth time in as many seasons in Eugene, Stein and Lupoi will be right there behind the scenes, helping the program stay consistent.
(LEFT) Offensive Coordinator, Will Stein, takes a moment to himself as he prepares for the inaugural BIG 10 matchup for the Oregon Ducks. The Oregon Ducks took on the UCLA Bruins in its first Big Ten Conference game in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Sept. 28, 2024. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)
(RIGHT) Coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi talk over plays as they look to pull of a pivotal defensive stand at the one yard line. The University of Oregon Ducks Football team were defeated by the University of Washington Huskies in an away match at Husky Stadium in Seattle, on Oct. 14, 2023. (Jonathan Suni/Emerald)
