THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
DUCKS DEPTH DELIVERS
How the Ducks’ emphasis on meticulous preparation can lift them to new heights.
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 Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates as he gets a touchdown. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug, 30 in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
(Above) Oregon Ducks running back Jay Harris (22) is tackled by a Montana State player.
vs. OREGON
WEEK 2 TEAM ROSTERS: OKLAHOMA ST
OREGON OFFENSE
PLAYER
DANTE MOORE
AUSTIN NOVOSAD
MAKHI HUGHES
NOAH WHITTINGTON
MALIK BENSON
JUSTIUS LOWE
DAKORIEN MOORE
GARY BRYANT JR.
ISAIAH WORLD
EMMANUEL PREGNON
IAPANI LALOULU
CHARLIE PICKARD
DAVE IULI
MATTHEW BEDFORD
ALEX HARKEY
KENYON SADIQ
OREGON DEFENSE
PLAYER
A’MAURI WASHINGTON
BEAR ALEXANDER
TIONNE GRAY
MATAYO UIAGALELEI
TEITUM TUIOTI
BRYCE BOETTCHER
DEVON JACKSON
BLAKE PURCHASE
ELIJAH RUSHING
DILLON THIENEMAN
AARON FLOWERS
IFY OBIDEGWU
BRANDON FINNEY JR.
THERAN JOHNSON
PEYTON WOODYARD
DAYLEN AUSTIN
OREGON SPECIAL TEAMS
OKLAHOMA ST OFFENSE
KASEN CARPENTER
AUSTIN KAWECKI
NOAH MCKINNEY
NUKU MAFI
GRANT SEAGREN
TERRILL DAVIS
SAM JACKSON V CHRISTIAN FITZPATRICK
JOSH FORD
OSCAR HAMMOND
KALIB HICKS
SESI VAILAHI
ZANE FLORES
RS-SR/TR
RS-SR/TR
RS-SR
RS-SO/TR
RS-SO/TR RS-FR
OKLAHOMA ST DEFENSE
JALELL JOHNSON
IMAN OATES
GREGORY
TAJE MCCOY
BRYAN MCCOY JR.
BRANDON RAWLS
PARKER ROBERTSON
DYLAN SMITH
KENNETH HARRIS
CAM SMITH
KALE SMITH
DESEAN BROWN
MALIK CHARLES
RAYMOND GAY II
JACOBI OLIPHANT JR.
OKLAHOMA ST SPECIAL TEAMS
DUCKS RUNNING BACKS SHOWCASE DEPTH IN SEASON OPENER
Seven Oregon backs powered the 59-13 blowout win over Montana State.
BY RACHEL MCCONAGHIE Sports Writer
For No. 7 Oregon football (1-0), talent goes far beyond the starters — and Saturday’s home opener proved just how deep this roster runs. A 59-13 blowout over the Montana State Bobcats (0-1) reflected not only why the Ducks are a force to be reckoned with but also why this team’s running back game could help pave the way for another successful season in the Big Ten.
“Strength in numbers has got to be a weapon for us. Throughout the season, you never know who might go down and who might be up — we’ve also said if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” head coach Dan Lanning said.
A whopping seven running backs got to see action at Autzen Stadium, and among them were true freshmen star duo Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison, widely otherwise known in the program as ‘Thunder and Lightning.’
A consensus 4-star recruit from Illinois, Hill is off to an exciting start for his career at Oregon, recording 43 rush ing yards in four attempts.
It was a record-setting day for Davison — recognized nationally as a top running back recruit out of California — who became the first Oregon true or redshirt freshman to record three rushing touchdowns in a season opener. With only six carries on the day, Davison tallied just 26 rushing yards.
“I didn’t realize it was that many (touchdowns), but he’s prov en to be a really good short-yardage back for us,” Lanning said. Sixth-year senior Noah Whittington set the tone of the game with a rush up the middle for a 35-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage. After battling injuries and be ing overshadowed in previous years, Whittington made his debut as the starting running back for this Oregon team.
“These guys would tell you that Noah Whittington earned that every single day in practice and his leadership and how he’s worked,” Lanning said.
Whittington saw the most action in the game, lead ing the running back room with 10 rushes for 68 yards and a touchdown.
“In our room, we pride ourselves on our process,” Whit tington said. “We do a lot of extra stuff as a group that I feel like helps us separate ourselves from the rest of the running back rooms in the country. And I feel like we put that on display today.”
It was surprising for many fans when transfer redshirt ju nior Makhi Hughes did not get his first carry until the third quarter. Despite being one of Oregon’s top transfer additions this offseason — with two consecutive seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards at Tulane — Hughes finished the game with just one rushing attempt.
Could it be that Lanning is holding back on Hughes for the latter half of the season? Across the board, Oregon’s running back room has depth and experience, and it is no surprise that this group has a lot to prove.
“Iron sharpens iron. Every day you gotta come to prac tice like you got something to prove, and I feel like that’s kind of been the expectation of the running back room since,” Whittington said.
As the season unfolds, now begs the question whether Oregon will continue to showcase a large rotation of run ning back talent or settle on a more defined depth chart.
“I think that’s going to be our challenge as a coaching staff. When you have a lot of talent, the question becomes: where do you give those snaps, where do you give those reps?” Lanning said.
(RIGHT) Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) celebrates as he scores a touchdown. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 in Eugene, Ore.
(Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
HOW THE DUCKS’ METICULOUS PREPARATION LIFT THEM TO NEW
The Ducks’ preparation came into play in their rout of Montana State in the season opener.
BY JACK LAZARUS Sports Editor
“There was certainly some stuff in the bag that we didn’t use today,” head coach Dan Lanning said after his team’s domination of the Montana State Bobcats in Week 1.
Much of the talk going into the game drew comparisons to the season opener in 2024. In that game, the Ducks came out slow and gritted their way to a 24-14 victory over the University of Idaho Vandals. Aside from MSU and Idaho both being high-quality FCS opponents, the two matchups featured few similarities.
In a wire-to-wire rout of the Bobcats, the Ducks didn’t really have to get into some of the trickier stuff in the playbook, nor overextend any individual player by giving them too many unnecessary snaps.
“I think that was a big piece of it: realizing we call it copycats in our world,” Lanning said. “Things that you’ve given up in the past, being prepared for those in the future and I thought we had good plans for some of those. Ultimately, I thought our volume was smaller on both sides of the ball.”
The team’s plan to keep everything close to their chest can continue for another week, at least, after being able to rotate the lineup significantly throughout the opening game. Oregon didn’t put much on display for opponents down the line, which will work in its advantage, as each piece of film that teams can get is incredibly valuable.
Lanning preaches, above all else, that preparation is the key to success every week, which requires a unique amount of game-simulation in practice. Nowhere in the first contest of the year was that more exemplified than in Oregon’s one-minute drill at the end of the first half.
With just over a minute left, the Ducks had forced a Montana State three-and-out while up 31-3. The team’s quarterback Dante Moore emphasized being prepared.
The Ducks got the ball and gained 67 yards on six plays that took exactly a minute of game time. The team’s quarterback Dante Moore is the focal point of this emphasis toward being prepared. When asked about this drive, Moore mentioned how they had run through that situation in practice many times and knew exactly what to do when the time came.
“You practice it so much that it’s kind of the same situation: one timeout, one minute and you have to drive down the field,” Moore said. “I feel like we repped it so many times and… it’s great when you practice something so much and then when it comes time to do it in the game and we succeed.”
Being prepared for anything an opposing team has in its arsenal is not exclusive to the offense either.
Earlier in the week, Lanning mentioned the fact that Montana State switched both of its coordinators in the offseason, which meant there wasn’t all that much read-
ily available information on what the Bobcats would run during the game.
“We don’t know what that adversity (in game) will look like, so I prepare for all of it, for every one of those situations. We’re not saying we want to go create adversity, but we know adversity will happen,” Lanning said after a midweek practice.
When it came down to it the Bobcats favored the ground game offensively, which meant that the Ducks had that as a major focus in preparation. The only caveat was that the coaches were new, so Oregon made sure to prepare for everything.
Defensive lineman A’Mauri Washington, known for his outstanding speed even at his size of 6’3” and 330 pounds, totaled five tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Washington noted the team’s preparation as a major factor in his manhandling of the Bobcats’ front five.
“We looked at that same play that (Montana State) ran and I felt like we talked about it, we had the right calls to fit right into it and I felt like I just needed to execute what I was gonna do and the play was gonna come to me,” Washington said about one of his tackles for loss.
The culture around the team is one of competition as well, which creates the most effective preparation given the amount of “best-on-best” reps that players can get in practice. Multiple players and coaches have discussed the “us vs. us” mentality that is collectively held amongst the locker room.
Lanning also remained quiet publicly about any of the position battles that happened during fall camp, which meant that there was no information available about who was going to start at each position. That type of feeling seemingly bled into the team, as senior running back Noah Whittington mentioned many didn’t expect him to be the starting back after Oregon recruited Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes.
“I like competition regardless and I’ve been competing since I got here, so (Hughes’ addition) pumped me up,” Whittington said.
The running back room is a great example of the preparedness of this team, as the Ducks featured seven different running backs in their Week 1 win. No matter who played, they were ready and able to be effective.
Lanning mentioned that this depth in all positions will come into play later in the season when Oregon will have more of a need for fresh legs, so keeping the entire team prepared remains important.
As the season gets into its meat and potatoes, the Ducks’ ability to simulate game situations in practice and focus on being prepared for any adversity can certainly become a considerable advantage for Lanning and his team.
(RIGHT) Oregon Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. (23) celebrates as he makes a hard push towards the end zone, stopping on the one yard line. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
EMPHASIS ON PREPARATION CAN
NEW HEIGHTS
FIRST IMPRESSIONS FROM OREGON’S 2025 TRANSFER CLASS
Several of the 2025 transfers made an impact in Oregon’s 59-13 win over Montana State University.
BY HENRY LIGHT Sports Writer
Oregon’s 2025 transfer class has been a source of both excitement and scrutiny since before their commitments were announced. Facing pressure to replace starters who set a high standard, and questions about their ability to keep up with the top teams in the nation, how did the new Ducks respond in Week 1?
Malik Benson — WR, Florida State University
In his first game action since Week 3 of last season, Benson made an impact on his first reception in an Oregon uniform late in the first quarter, when he found an opening in the middle of the Bobcats’ defense and gave Dante Moore an easy target 18 yards downfield. He went on to score a touchdown and lead Oregon in receptions with five and receiving yards with 51.
With Evan Stewart out long term, there is a huge amount of receptions available to any wide receiver who steps up, and Benson did so in the opening game.
Makhi Hughes — RB, Tulane University
With Hughes appearing on both the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Maxwell Award watchlists there was plenty of room for his debut to fall short of expectations. Many of those theoretical outcomes would have left Ducks fans feeling neutral or even positive, but the reality, in which he took one carry and one reception for short yardage on Oregon’s first drive of the third quarter, is more cryptic.
It is still hard to imagine Hughes landing lower than second on Oregon’s running back depth chart, but strong performances from fellow preseason award nominee Noah Whittington and freshmen Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison make that a fascinating position to watch.
Jamari Johnson — TE, the University of Louisville
Not much was asked of Johnson in his Oregon debut, but he played his role well when he was on the field, making his blocks and executing his route well on Kyler Kasper’s 40-yard reception in the third quarter. Committing to Oregon ahead of his redshirt sophomore season was a long-term decision by Johnson, with Kenyon Sadiq holding one of the most secure starting spots on Oregon’s roster. With that in mind, second on the depth chart is a good place to start his development.
Isaiah World — OT, the University of Nevada; Emmanuel Pregnon — IOL, USC; Alex Harkey — OT, Texas State University
Oregon’s new starters along the offensive line were flawless, helping the unit keep Montana State without a tackle for loss, and giving Dante Moore time to double clutch and find a better target on several occasions. Harkey showed up on the first play of the game,
overpowering Montana State’s pass rusher so much that Whittington was able to shift a route that was supposed to go up the middle around the right side for 35 yards.
World and Pregnon held down the left side until Pregnon left with an injury late in the first quarter when a Montana State lineman fell on his right leg. The injury cut Pregnon’s debut short, but Dan Lanning shared a positive update on his status for week two at his press conference on Sept. 1, saying, “I feel confident that he’s gonna be able to go”.
Dillon Thieneman — S, Purdue
Oregon’s new-look secondary wasn’t tested much in week one, but Thieneman still showed why he led all Big Ten defensive backs in tackles last season.
Thieneman finished the game with four tack les, including one on Montana State’s first drive of the second half that showed off his speed when he kept up with wide receiver Taco Dowler cut ting across the middle of the field and pushed him out of bounds.
Jadon Canady — CB, the University of Mississippi
Canady was brought in to play a versatile role in Oregon’s overhauled secondary, lining up as a nickel/STAR in his debut.
In limited snaps, Canady showed a raw playmaking ability similar to Thiene man’s, chasing Dowler into a massive hit by Ify Obidegwu on Montana State’s first offensive play of the game, and punching a ball out of Dowler’s hands to force a fumble out of bounds in the second quarter.
Bear Alexander — DL, USC
In his first game action since week three last season, after which he decided to uti lize a redshirt, Alexander helped the Ducks’ defense suffocate a promising Montana State running game. He was credited with two tackles at the line of scrimmage, including a crucial effort on thirdand-1 in the first quarter, where he pushed through two offensive linemen to stop quarterback Justin Lamson short of the first down.
Oregon defenders and coaches continually empha sized stopping the run in preseason interviews, so Alexander will garner praise if he continues to show up in that area.
(RIGHT) Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) warms up for the game against the Bobcats. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
beer
beer
Oregon looks to continue its winning ways against Oklahoma State in Week 2 matchup.
BY ROWAN SHEA Sports Writer
The second game of the season will feature two teams with vastly different viewpoints on the season.
The Oklahoma State University Cowboys are looking to have a competitive year after seemingly rolling over in 2024. They will meet the Oregon Ducks, who so far have shown they are as legit as they were last season and are a team that could go further.
Oklahoma State is coming off an awful 2024 campaign where they finished just 3-9, did not win a single game past Week 3 and in that stretch were 0-9 against Big 12 teams. To say that the Cowboys needed to switch things up would be an understatement.
So, in his 20th season at Oklahoma State, head coach Mike Gundy went all in.
The two biggest changes came in the forms of Todd Grantham, who is coming back to college football after working with the New Orleans Saints from 2023-2024 and is taking over as OSU’s defensive coordinator. The second big change is Doug Meacham. He played for Oklahoma State from 1983-1987, having previously coached from 2005-2012 working with inside receivers and tight ends. Meacham is the new offensive coordinator.
Against the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks
on Aug. 28, Oklahoma State won 27-7. Despite the win, starting quarterback Hauss Hejny, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Texas Christian University, had his season start off in the worst way possible. In his first start for the Cowboys, Hejny suffered a broken foot late in the first quarter and received surgery on Aug. 29. Zane Flores, who did not play or practice last year due to receiving a medical hardship waiver, took over for Hejny.
In terms of quarterback matchups, Oregon has Oklahoma State beat. Flores ended the day against the Skyhawks at 13 of 20 passing, throwing for 136 yards but did not throw for a touchdown. In comparison, Moore played great in Week 1, finishing the day with a much better line than that of Flores at 18 of 23 passes, 213 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With early troubles at quarterback, the Cowboys centered their offense on the run game. Sesi Vailahi, a redshirt sophomore, had 32 yards on nine carries and a rushing touchdown. Redshirt sophomore Kalib Hicks had the most yardage on the day for the Cowboys with 56 rushing yards on 21 carries.
The run game wasn’t great on the day though, and the Cowboys only averaged three yards per carry.
“Unfortunately we weren’t very good on offense,” Gundy said. “I’d love to have that at four and a half yards a carry.”
Meacham and Gundy are going to have their work cut out for them this week against A’Mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti and Bryce Boettcher, who all contributed to shutting down the run game against Montana State. Gundy said that they need to get more space open for the run game, but Oregon will make that difficult with the persistent defensive line that got into the
offensive back field easily Week 1.
In comparison to Oregon’s running game, Oklahoma State lacks considerably. Oregon’s offense was already outperforming Oklahoma State’s at halftime in terms of yards.
Oklahoma State’s receivers had a slightly better Week 1, averaging 12.9 yards per reception. The receivers were led by Terrill Davis, a transfer from The University of Central Oklahoma and a Division II first team All-American, who had 75 yards. Shamar Rigby came in from Purdue and had 50 yards and Gavin Freeman, a redshirt junior, was the only Cowboy receiver with a touchdown.
Against Oregon, Davis, Rigby, Freeman and the rest of the Cowboy receivers are going to have to go up against a loaded defensive backfield consisting of Ify Obidegwu, Dillon Thieneman, talented true freshman Na’eem Offord, Peyton Woodyard and more. For an inexperienced quarterback coming off of injury, a floundering running game and a lackluster Cowboy receiving core, the Ducks have the upper hand.
The Cowboys are looking to have a better performance this week with the run game, as well as on offense and defense in general; however, given the way that Oregon played last weekend, the Cowboys could be looking at a similar story to Week 1.
(ABOVE) Aug. 28, 2025; Stillwater, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Hauss Hejny (8) runs the ball during the first half against the Tennessee Martin Skyhawks at Boone Pickens Stadium.
(William Purnell/Imagn Images)
SPECIAL TEAMS SHINE AGAINST MONTANA STATE – WHAT THIS MEANS GOING FORWARD
Ducks punt return and field goal unit go the extra mile against the Bobcats.
HARRY LEADER Sports Writer
While highlight reels replay touchdowns and bone-rattling tackles, the quieter work of special teams often sets the stage for those moments.
The Oregon Ducks kicked off their 2025 season with a blowout 59-13 win against the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 31. The special teams shone in the game making big plays on punts and field goals.
Against Montana State, Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan blocked that redshirt sophomore defensive back Daylen Austin carried for 2 yards before going down in the red zone.
Senior wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. took most of the reps at punt returner, returning two punts for 17 yards and having one fumble go out of bounds.
Standout true freshman Dakorien Moore also took a rep at punt returner in the 4th quarter but the ball was sent in the endzone for a touchback. Last season Tez Johnson, who shares a lot of physical similarities with Moore, took most of the reps at punt returner and returned Oregon’s only punt return touchdown.
In last week’s blowout win, the Ducks did not punt, so it is still unclear who will get the starting punter job. Recent transfer James Ferguson-Reynolds posted on X following the game saying “Well that was fun duck fans, thanks for
the day off @dantemoore05.”
Ferguson-Reynolds is coming off of a solid year at Boise State where he had been the first string punter since 2022. He punted 8 times in his matchup against the Ducks early last season and also had his longest punt of the season at 68 yards.
Even in blowout games, though, the kickers still get their chance to put points on the board. Redshirt senior Atticus Sappington handled most of the kicking duties against Montana State, going 1/1 on field goal attempts and 5/5 on extra points.
Sappington was the starting kicker for the Ducks last season and went 14 for 16 on field goal attempts which made him No. 20 in the country in field goal percentage. His longest field goal last season was 42 yards at Wisconsin.
Redshirt freshman and backup kicker Gage Hurych scored an extra point in the second quarter and later took over the kicking duties in the third quarter. Hurych went 3/3 on extra points and kicked off twice. With Sappington’s eligibility running out at the end of this season, Hurych could become the starter next season.
“You know, Gage (Hurych), I think, is a guy that can be a big time weapon for us in the future, and he needed to get some of those reps,” said head coach Dan Lanning at a post game press conference. “That’s that opportunity to create that experience.”
The kick return team saw little change from last
season with redshirt senior Noah Whittington returning to the role of kick returner. Whittington returned two kicks for a total of 41 yards. True freshman running back Dierre Hill Jr. also handled reps at kick returner, returning two kicks for a total of 50 yards in his debut with the Ducks.
Even with this strong start, the Ducks special teams unit still needs to play with the same intensity for the whole season. With that being said, Oregon has shown growth from last season. With McClellan’s punt block against the Bobcats, the Ducks already have more blocked punts than last season at 0.
Last season the Ducks had one of their best seasons in recent years in average kickoff return yards, ranking No. 6 in the nation. In 2023, the Ducks ranked No. 124 in average kickoff return yards.
The Ducks will face Oklahoma State University, who ranked No. 20 in the nation in net punting and allowed zero blocked punts in 2024, on Saturday at Autzen Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
(ABOVE) Oregon Ducks defensive back Daylen Austin (0) chases after the ball after a punt block. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 in Eugene, Ore. (Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
WEEK 1 OVERREACTIONS
60 minutes of football is done, and there’s so much to take away from it.
BY JOE KRASNOWSKI Sports Writer
There were two hurdles, eight touchdowns and zero negative plays (except for the final two kneel-downs) for Oregon in a season-opening 59-13 bashing of Montana State. Simply put, it was a pretty good opening week of football, leaving fans and pundits no choice but to overreact after 60 minutes of action.
Besides, if you aren’t going to overanalyze a season-opening game between a national championship contender and an FCS team, are you even into sports?
With that being said, I’ve created a very serious list of five bold(ish) statements revolving around the Oregon stratosphere after one game.
DANTE MOORE IS WINNING THE HEISMAN TROPHY.
Yep, it’s got to be No. 1. With none of the top three Heisman favorites (Cade Klubnik, Arch Manning and Jeremiah Smith) having remarkable starts to the season, there’s no better time for Oregon fans to start Moore’s Heisman campaign than now.
Sure, it was just one game, but Moore did everything he could with his 2.5 quarters of action, completing 18 of 23 passes for 213 yards and three touchdowns, looking just like Oregon quarterbacks past.
“He was sharp; he knew where to go with the ball, was decisive with his reads (and) was able to make some checks. I thought we had a simple plan and a plan we could execute at a high level, and he went out there and executed it really well,” Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said after the game.
WILL STEIN IS GOING TO BE THE CROWN JEWEL OF THE NEXT COACHING CAROUSEL.
It’s remarkable how easy Stein — now on his third quarterback at Oregon — can make running a college offense look. The former University of Louisville quarterback has really done everything possible as an offensive coordinator thus far for the Ducks and is sure to be a hot name on next year’s coaching carousel.
THE HIERARCHY IN THE BIG TEN IS BIGGER THAN EVER.
After Week 1, it feels like 2025 will be another year of the expected powerhouses — Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State and Penn State — dominating the Big Ten. Outside of Indiana and Illinois — both of which are unproven against elite competition — most other teams in the conference don’t seem like significant contenders.
DAKORIEN MOORE WILL BE AN OREGON LEGEND.
A highlight-reel block is a great way to earn fans’ admiration and teammates’ respect. Moore sure had a great one, stifling a defender and clearing a path for Gary Bryant Jr. on a third quarter touchdown. When he had the ball, Moore looked elusive, explosive and all the other things you’d want to see from Oregon’s highest-ranked recruit of the Lanning era.
“I’m really proud of that play,” Lanning said. “He was
blocking the wrong guy, but he’s blocking his ass off. That’s what’s exciting: we can make full-speed mistakes and then we can make them full-speed and do an unbelievable job for our team, that’s huge.”
THE DUCKS WILL HAVE FOUR FIRST-ROUND PICKS IN THE 2026 NFL DRAFT.
Not a flaming hot take here, but Dillon Thieneman, Matayo Uiagalelei, Isaiah World and Kenyon Sadiq all have real shots at being selected in the first round of the NFL draft. All four players looked solid in their 2025 debuts and should receive ample opportunity to excel going forward. Overall, does a Week 1 win against Montana State really mean anything? No, not really. Still, everyone who was supposed to look good did, and the Ducks left the game relatively healthy.
“I think a lot of things went right and our way today,” Lanning said. “I think there’s still a lot for us to be able to go out there and clean up and still give ourselves an opportunity to still assess exactly where we’re at. But overall, (I’m) proud of the competition, proud of the guys never looking at the scoreboard, continuing to just work and focus and overall, proud of the product.”
(BELOW) Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18), Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) and Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Isaiah World (76) celebrate after a touchdown. The University of Oregon Ducks opened their football season against the Montana State Bobcats at Autzen Stadium on Aug. 30 in Eugene, Ore.
(Saj Sundaram/Emerald)
PRO DUCKS ENTERING THE 2025 NFL SEASON
Here is what’s next for some of Oregon’s former stars!
BY MAX KOEBEL Sports Reporter
The 2025 NFL season is set to kick off this weekend and once again, there will be many alumni of the Ducks’ football program making their presence felt at the highest level. This past spring, a program record 10 Ducks were selected in the NFL Draft. It was the second consecutive year that the draft had a record-breaking number of Oregon players. Along with the 10 rookies there will be a large handful of veterans from Oregon who lookwill be looking to climb the food chain even more.
Derrick Harmon
Defensive Lineman
Pittsburgh Steelers
Harmon was the first Duck to go off the board in this year’s draft when the Steelers took him with the No. 21st overall pick. He was the backbone of Oregon’s defensive front in its Big Ten Championship season last year. Arguably, Harmon’s most crucial moment was in the Week 7 matchup against No. 2 Ohio State, when he beat the top offensive line in the country and stripped the OSU running back to take away a possession. That game would end in a one-point victory for the Ducks. It is uncertain when Harmon will make his NFL debut after he suffered a knee sprain in the preseason, but when he gets on the field, the Steelers should look forward to what he will bring.
Josh Conerly Jr.
Offensive Lineman
Washington Commanders
Conerly was the second Oregon player drafted in the first round this year with the No. 29th overall pick. He started every game for the Ducks last season and earned all-Big Ten first team honors. One of his most notable games was the Big Ten Championship against Penn State, where he was tasked with blocking Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Abdul Carter and allowed zero pressures. After falling one game short of the Super Bowl last year, the Commanders need a guy like Conerly to protect second year quarterback Jayden Daniels as they look to make another run for the big stage.
Dillon Gabriel Quarterback
Cleveland Browns
Last year was the second year in a row where an Oregon quarterback broke the record for most college starts and became a Heisman finalist. By the end of the season, Gabriel had 63 starts over six seasons with the Universities of Central Florida, Oklahoma and Oregon. He was selected by the Browns in the third round of this year’s draft to add to a very crowded quarterback room. At the end of the preseason, Gabriel was named the second string quarterback behind 17th year veteran Joe Flacco. He is one of two rookies who will develop behind Flacco as Cleveland looks to rebuild.
Bo Nix Quarterback
Denver Broncos
Despite not winning Offensive Rookie of the Year, Nix couldn’t have asked for a much better rookie season in the NFL. When the Broncos selected him with the No. 12th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they were on an eight year playoff drought and had started 13 different quarterbacks in that time. In his first year as a pro, Nix threw for 3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns and finally took Denver back to the playoffs. This offseason, the Broncos have added several veterans to their roster as they look to pose a threat in the loaded AFC West with Nix under center.
Bucky Irving Running back
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After being taken in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Irving wasted no time making a name for himself in Tampa Bay. He spent his first season as the second string running back behind veteran Rachaad White, but still rushed for 1,122 yards on 207 carries and scored eight touchdowns. Irving has been named the No. 1 running back for the Buccaneers going into his second season, where he is already considered by some to be the face of the offense.
Justin Herbert Quarterback
Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers saw tremendous growth in their first season under head coach Jim Harbaugh, winning six more games than the year before. Herbert threw for 3,870 yards and 23 touchdowns which led Los Angeles to the playoffs for the second time in his career. The Chargers have had very little success historically, but Harbaugh and Herbert seem to have them pointed in the right direction. Now entering his sixth season, Herbert is still hunting for his first playoff win.
(BELOW) Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (99) rushes the passer against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a preseason game at EverBank Stadium on Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. (Travis Register-Imagn Images/File photo)
