After Oregon’s 17-15 loss to UCLA, the conversation around the Ducks quickly shifted to one familiar question: where were the touches for the playmakers?
Dan Lanning said Monday that those answers are coming, and he made it clear that tight end Jamari Johnson and receiver Dakorien Moore are among the players who need to be more involved moving forward. Johnson, in particular, was a major talking point after being targeted only once against the Bruins despite the Ducks expecting him to be a central part of the offense.
“Jamari’s a guy that needs to be touching the ball, right? We've got some explosive players that need to be able to touch the ball.
Dakorien Moore's a guy that needs to be touching the ball. Dierre Hill.”
Johnson has already shown what he can do when Oregon leans on him. He opened the season with four catches for 57 yards and a touchdown against Boise State before missing two games with injury.
Since coming back, he’s flashed again, most notably with seven receptions for 119 yards against USC. Against UCLA, though, he managed just 13 yards on one catch.
Lanning said the Ducks’ offensive issues weren’t isolated to one player or one position. The three-and-outs and seven turnovers cut into the number of chances Oregon had to work with.
“We had a lot less plays on offense than we had on defense because we turned the ball over,” he said. “I think some of it starts there, but we can certainly find better ways to make sure that we get targets to players.”
Moore’s name belongs in that same discussion. The sophomore receiver has been productive - 18 catches for 311 yards and four touchdowns through five games - but Oregon fans have been waiting for the kind of featured role many expected from the former five-star and No. 1 receiver in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
He has yet to top 100 receiving yards in a game, with his best outing still the 89-yard effort at No. 3 Penn State in 2025.
On Tuesday, Moore said the desire to get the ball is shared across the locker room.
"I mean, naturally, just as a ballplayer, I would say I speak for anybody when I say that we want the ball," Moore said on Tuesday.
He added that the work in practice is part of the case players are making to the staff.
"There are a ton of chances that we get, especially in practice, where we make plays to show coach that we're one of those guys who need to be getting the ball,” he continued. “But I'm very blessed to be one of those players that (Lanning) highlighted for future opportunities to get the ball. So, I'm looking forward to it."
The offensive concerns go beyond individual usage. Oregon’s 15 points against UCLA were its lowest total since Sept. 3, 2022, when Lanning coached his first game against No.
1 Georgia. And even in losses to the 2024 and 2025 National Champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes and Indiana Hoosiers, the Ducks still scored more than 20 points in those games.
With the offense struggling to finish drives, turning the ball over seven times and trying to find better connections between the quarterback room and its playmakers, Lanning was pressed Monday about possible staff changes. He delivered a detailed response in a tense exchange, saying the program is looking hard at every part of what it’s doing.
“We continue to assess every evaluation or every piece that shows up on the field and how we can improve it,” Lanning said. “And that doesn't mean you throw out the baby with the bathwater necessarily in every situation.
And solving problems is about what do you have as resources to solve those problems and the ability to do that. And that's my job.
“There's going to be some differences in the way that we operate and what we do, and there already is, and the way we've operated this week,” he added. “But as far as revealing like how we'll do that, what things will look like, I'm not going to share that with you guys.”
Lanning defended offensive staff members including Mehringer, quarterbacks coach Koa Ka’ai and offensive line coach A’lique Terry. Still, the Ducks are clearly making adjustments, and the question now is whether those changes will show up on Saturday against Nebraska - especially when it comes to getting Johnson and Moore the ball more often.
In Other News...
Dan Lanning Just Put Dylan Raiola Back In Nebraskas Spotlight
After Oregons loss to UCLA, Dan Lanning spent part of his postgame discussion addressing the quarterback situation that has suddenly become one of the bigger storylines around the Ducks. With Dante Moore still dealing with a concussion, Lanning said Dylan Raiola will be in the mix with Brock Thomas for the starting job, and he also pointed to Raiolas composure after being pulled from the game as a sign of how the freshman handled a difficult afternoon.
Lannings comments went beyond the quarterback room, too, as he emphasized that the Ducks still showed positive body language even while the offense struggled. He also said there will be changes in team operations, though he stopped short of explaining what those adjustments will look like, leaving Oregon with one more layer of uncertainty as it tries to steady things coming out of the loss. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Heads Into Pivotal Nebraska Test With One Huge Problem
The build-up to Nebraskas visit to Autzen has plenty of the usual Big Ten shine, but Oregons biggest concern is much more basic: who will take the first snap at quarterback. The Ducks are working through a murky situation with three possible starters still tied to concussion protocol clearance, leaving Dan Lannings team to sort out its most important position just as a high-stakes conference game arrives.
Nebraska, meanwhile, is bringing a resume that demands attention. Matt Rhules team has played well enough to make this trip matter, and senior transfer quarterback Anthony Colandrea gives the Cornhuskers another layer of confidence on offense. Add in a defense that ranks third in sacks in the conference, and Oregons uncertainty under center starts to look like more than a simple pregame storyline. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Just Turned A Huge Quarterback Battle Against Oregon
Oregons quarterback picture has been complicated lately, and not just because of the loss to UCLA. The Ducks are also dealing with the ripple effects of former offensive coordinator Will Stein leaving for the head coaching job at Kentucky, a move that has already changed the recruiting conversation around one of the programs most important positions. For a team that has long sold quarterback development as part of its identity, keeping that edge matters in a hurry.
Josiah Boyd has emerged as one of the names to watch in that battle, and Kentuckys early momentum under Stein is giving the Wildcats real traction. The four-star quarterback recruit is reportedly impressed by what Stein has done in Lexington and is considering Kentucky as a serious option over Oregon, a reminder that coaching changes can hit the Ducks where they least want it - on the recruiting trail. [Read more 🡒]