As Oregon gets ready for its 2026 season opener against Boise State, Dan Lanning is carrying a different kind of weight this week: the loss of a young player at the coach’s alma mater.
William Jewell College, where Lanning played linebacker in the 2000s, was shaken last week when running back MicahJo Barnett collapsed on the sideline moments after scoring a touchdown on Saturday. Emergency personnel tried to resuscitate Barnett, but he was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was 20.
“You put things in perspective that there’s a lot of things bigger than football,” Lanning said Wednesday. “I’m sure he was on the field doing the thing that he loved, but you never know when that last moment is gonna be. So, really feel for the Jewell community and feel for his family.”
The news hits especially close to home for Lanning, whose own program has lived through painful losses. Oregon tight end Spencer Webb died in 2022 after a tragic accident near Triangle Lake, and former Ducks cornerback Khyree Jackson died in a car crash in Maryland in 2024.
Lanning has woven that grief into his team’s daily routine. Every meeting starts with “four, five” chanted aloud, with claps in between, a tribute to the former players’ numbers.
“Sad moment that I hope nobody has to experience, but obviously it’s happened now,” Lanning said. “So, just praying for that group, and that they have strength in this moment, and they can fulfill and live their lives out in Micah’s honor.”
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Was Overwhelmed By One Colorado Debut They Wont Forget
Georgia Tech came out of its 2026 opener facing a Colorado defense that looked different from the start, and not just because of the new coordinator. Under Chris Marve, the Buffaloes made the Yellow Jackets fight for every yard, and the run game never found much room to breathe in a 14-13 loss that felt as much like a defensive statement as a season opener.
The biggest problem for Georgia Tech was Lamont Lester Jr., the transfer edge rusher who turned his Colorado debut into a headache for the Jackets. Lester finished with three sacks and repeatedly showed up on third downs, breaking up the rhythm of the offense and helping hold Georgia Tech to 51 rushing yards, its lowest total since 2022. [Read more 🡒]
Deion Just Sent Georgia Tech A Message Before This Opener
Before Georgia Tech sees Colorado on the field to open the 2026 season, Deion Sanders has already made sure the moment carries a little extra weight. Speaking in an interview ahead of the matchup, the Buffaloes coach declared, Im back, a line that lands differently after Colorados uneven last two seasons and the roster turnover that followed the departures of key players.
For Georgia Tech, it adds another layer to a game that was already going to draw attention. Sanders 9-4 breakthrough in 2024 gave way to a 3-9 follow-up in 2025, and the new season is being viewed as a pivotal one for his coaching future. How Colorado responds in this opener could say plenty about where Sanders and the program are headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Former Colorado Defender Just Added Real Emotion To The Georgia Tech Opener
Tawfiq Thomas is bringing more than a fresh start to Georgia Tech this season. The defensive tackle, who arrived from Colorado after previous stops at Louisville and with the Buffaloes, has added a personal edge to the Yellow Jackets opener by making it clear on social media that the matchup carries extra meaning for him. It is the kind of transfer storyline that gives an early-season game a little more bite, especially for a Georgia Tech defense looking to lean on him up front.
Thomas already has the kind of college experience that can matter in a game like this, including his time playing under Deion Sanders at Colorado and producing notable defensive numbers along the way. Georgia Tech brought him in to help fortify the line, and now his first chance to face his old team comes right away. For a player with a point to prove, the opener is no longer just a season starter - it is a reunion with a little more emotion attached. [Read more 🡒]