The biggest edge Oregon may have entering 2026 isn’t just talent. It’s continuity.
Yes, the Ducks are bringing back 14 starters and carrying real national championship hopes after last season’s College Football Playoff run. Yes, the attention naturally lands on veterans like quarterback Dante Moore and edge rusher Teitum Tuioti.
But Oregon’s stability runs deeper than the roster. Two major staff promotions have put Chris Hampton and Drew Mehringer into larger roles, and Dan Lanning is betting that familiarity will make the transition smooth.
At Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday, Lanning made it clear he views the moves as a strength, not a reset.
"In our four years here, we've had three guys go on to become Power Four head coaches, and we're certainly excited for Coach (Will) Stein and Coach (Tosh) Lupoi and their new opportunities, but that creates a new opportunity for guys in our building, and Chris Hampton and Drew Mehringer," Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days.
That opportunity matters because neither coach is walking into a blank slate. Mehringer, promoted from tight ends coach to offensive coordinator, and Hampton, who moves from co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach to defensive coordinator, already know Oregon’s structure, standards and personality.
They know the system. They know the players.
They know what Lanning expects.
That kind of internal promotion can save a contender from the usual coordinator-change turbulence, and Lanning sounded convinced both men have already handled the jump well.
"Both these guys are all-stars in the profession," Lanning said. "They both do an unbelievable job developing players. They understand scheme, and they've created some great memories in their position rooms, and they've done an unbelievable job hitting the ground running this offseason."
Promoting from within has given Oregon more than just familiarity at the top of the staff. It has preserved the language of the program. Mehringer and Hampton were already part of the process behind the Ducks’ offensive and defensive identities, and that means the offseason has been about refining, not rebuilding.
"Having guys in your program that understand your culture, what you want to create," Lanning said. "Those guys have been home runs so far, and I'm really excited to see what they'll accomplish this year."
The trust factor stretches onto the field, too. Moore has already worked with Mehringer, while Hampton has spent the last three seasons coaching Oregon’s defense. That established relationship should let the Ducks spend less time on teaching and more time on preparing.
Neither coach is a stranger to calling plays, either. Mehringer was Rutgers’ offensive coordinator in 2016, when he became the youngest offensive play caller in the Power Four at the time. He has also held offensive coordinator or co-offensive coordinator duties at James Madison, New Mexico and Oregon before taking over full-time this season.
Hampton brings his own resume. He ran Tulane’s defense from 2021-22 and helped engineer one of the country’s biggest defensive turnarounds, finishing with a 12-2 season and a Cotton Bowl win over USC. Since arriving at Oregon in 2023, he has worked as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach alongside Lupoi.
Oregon’s returning players may end up being just as important as the coaching continuity. Moore enters the season as one of the Big Ten’s most experienced quarterbacks, and center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu anchors an offensive line that brings back significant production. Tight end Jamari Johnson also gives Mehringer another veteran piece who already knows the offense.
On defense, Tuioti is back after posting 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks in 2025. Matayo Uiagalelei and A'Mauri Washington return as well, giving Oregon one of the conference’s most seasoned defensive fronts.
That veteran core should help reduce the growing pains that often come with new play callers. The Ducks aren’t asking a pair of first-time outsiders to figure things out on the fly. They’re handing the keys to two coaches who already know the building, and pairing them with a roster full of players who can help carry the message on the field.
For a team chasing a championship-level season, that kind of built-in trust might be Oregon’s quietest advantage.
In Other News...
Oregon May Have A Late Backcourt Decision To Make
A federal court ruling this week added an unexpected wrinkle to Oregons offseason roster planning, with a U.S. District Court judge granting a preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who used up four seasons of eligibility this spring. For a Ducks program that has already largely assembled its roster but kept a few openings available, the decision arrives at a time when backcourt depth is still worth monitoring.
One name to keep in mind is Takai Simpkins, the former Oregon guard who was part of the case. Even with the portal already in motion and the roster picture mostly settled, the ruling creates a late-stage possibility the Ducks may have to weigh, especially if they want to preserve flexibility in the guard rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Is Suddenly In The Mix For A Proven Guard Again
A court ruling in Colorado has reopened the college basketball market in a way few programs could have predicted, giving players from the 2022 recruiting class another year of NCAA eligibility and prompting a fresh round of roster shuffling. For teams like Oregon, it has created an opportunity to revisit experienced backcourt options at a time when proven guards are always in demand.
Among the players drawing attention is Memphis guard Dug McDaniel, whose path has already included stops at Michigan and Kansas State before his time with the Tigers. Oregon is reportedly among the programs showing interest, and the broader appeal is obvious: a seasoned ballhandler suddenly available again, with multiple schools now trying to sort out where he might land next. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Tight End Battle Could Change The Ducks Offense Fast
The tight end room is shaping up as one of the more interesting parts of Oregons 2026 roster, with five-star newcomer Kendre Harrison already looking like a player who could push for immediate snaps. He brings the kind of blend the Ducks value there, with enough blocking ability to hold up in the run game and enough receiving skill to be more than just a line-of-scrimmage option. Add in his athletic profile, plus the expectation that he will also spend time around college basketball, and Oregon has a rare kind of mismatch piece entering the program.
Jamari Johnson gives the Ducks a proven returning option, which makes the battle feel less about finding one usable tight end and more about sorting out how quickly the offense can take advantage of two different skill sets. If Harrison adapts fast, Oregon could open the season with a much more dangerous group at the position than most teams in the country can match. The bigger question now is not whether the Ducks will have talent there, but how soon they can turn it into a real edge on offense. [Read more 🡒]