Jon Rothstein thinks Oregon has a real path to surprise people in the Big Ten next season, and that alone should give Ducks fans something to latch onto after a rough year.
Oregon’s 12-20 finish, including a 5-15 mark in Big Ten play, left the program with plenty to clean up. The jump from the Pac 12 to the Big Ten has made life harder, and the league’s heavyweights - Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan State and others - are putting more into their rosters than ever.
Dana Altman had work to do after Oregon missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2022-23 season, and the roster turnover followed. Kwame Evans and Jackson Shelstad moved on to big programs, while Nate Bittle is headed to the NBA.
That reset has opened the door for a different-looking Ducks team, and Rothstein is buying the upside. The CBS Sports college basketball insider called Oregon the sleeper team in the conference while breaking down the Big Ten for next season.
Oregon is the sleeper team in the Big Ten. https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple) https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify) https://t.co/x5qUSk1Wmn (YouTube) pic.twitter.com/EQj980AVWJ
- Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 13, 2026
That doesn’t make Oregon a favorite, and nobody around the program is pretending otherwise. But sleeper status still matters. It means there’s enough talent in place to make teams pay attention if things come together.
Rothstein pointed to the transfer group as a big reason for optimism, with Jasper Johnson, Dwayne Aristode, Taylor Bol-Bowen and Tyrone Riley all drawing his attention. Freshman Tajh Ariza is also expected to be part of the mix, giving Altman another player who could matter right away.
The appeal here is pretty straightforward: Oregon has a blend of players with high-end upside and a coach who has already proven he can get teams moving in the right direction. Johnson was one of the country’s most sought-after recruits a year ago but never quite found his rhythm at Kentucky. Aristode and Jerry Easter fit a similar mold, too - freshmen with uneven first seasons, but enough flashes to make you wonder what comes next.
Altman still has a tough road ahead in 2026-27 as he tries to get Oregon into the expanded NCAA Tournament field. But the bigger bracket gives the Ducks a little more room to breathe, and they’ll also have time to grow together before Big Ten play really starts to bite.
If the group clicks, Oregon won’t just be a team with potential. It’ll be one that can make the conference pay attention.
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Oregons Running Back Room Just Earned A Massive National Ranking
Oregons backfield is already drawing national attention after CBS Sports slotted the Ducks running back room third in the country, a nod to how much production is returning and how much depth is piling up behind it. The group is headlined by sophomores Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., who gave Oregon a steady one-two punch last season and now give the offense a proven foundation to build around again.
Davison and Hill combined for more than 1,500 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns in 2025, and the Ducks are not stopping there. Colorado transfer Simeon Price has joined the mix, while freshmen Brandon Smith and Tradarian Ball are also in the room, giving Oregon a crowded competition for the next snaps and a depth chart that still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Dana Altman Suddenly Has Oregon Back In A Familiar Conversation
After a rough 2025-26 season that left Oregon at 12-20 overall and 5-15 in Big Ten play, the Ducks are suddenly back in a conversation they badly needed. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein has pointed to Oregon as a potential sleeper in the league for 2026-27, and the reason is simple enough: the roster has been turned over almost completely through the transfer portal, giving Dana Altman a fresh group to work with in his 17th season.
Oregon lost eight players and brought in eight transfers, a makeover that gives Altman a chance to reset the program quickly rather than spend another year patching holes. Rothsteins view is that the Ducks could be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten and have a path back to the NCAA Tournament, which is exactly the kind of expectation shift that can change the mood around a program before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lannings Rare Oregon Portal Misses Still Sting For Ducks Fans
Oregons transfer-portal haul has usually been a point of pride under Dan Lanning, but not every addition has delivered the instant boost fans expected. Makhi Hughes, Isaiah World and Caleb Chapman all arrived with real buzz and the sense that they could help shape the Ducks season, yet each one ran into a different kind of roadblock once the games started.
Hughes never found a consistent role in the backfield, World had stretches where his play did not match the lofty projections attached to him, and Chapmans time in Eugene was derailed by injuries before he could build momentum. For a program that leans on the portal to patch holes and raise the ceiling, those misses still stand out because they show how quickly a promising fit can turn into a quiet footnote. [Read more 🡒]