A few former Oregon Ducks wasted no time making noise in NFL preseason Week 1.
Three names stood out in particular: Bryce Boettcher, Malik Benson and Noah Whittington. Each turned in a debut that gave his new team something to notice, and each showed why Oregon fans kept track of them long before this weekend.
Boettcher, now with the Indianapolis Colts, made his preseason debut in Thursday’s 13-13 tie with the New England Patriots and looked right at home. The former Ducks linebacker finished with three total tackles and delivered a hard shot on a Patriots running back that quickly made the rounds on social media. During his time in Eugene, Boettcher built a reputation as one of the leaders on Oregon’s defense, and that same toughness showed up in his first NFL action.
The Colts took Boettcher with the No. 135 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he enters his rookie season with a chance to carve out a real role on defense.
Benson also got off to a strong start in his first preseason game. The Las Vegas Raiders fell 27-14 at home to the Arizona Cardinals, but Benson still managed to flash some of the playmaking that made him such a productive one-year Duck. The rookie wideout caught two passes for 26 yards, including a 19-yard grab from No. 1 overall pick and former Indiana Hoosiers Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Benson’s Oregon stop was brief, but it was loud. In one season with the Ducks, after earlier stops at Alabama and Florida State, he posted 43 catches for 719 yards and six touchdowns while also making his mark on special teams.
The Raiders drafted him No. 195 overall in the sixth round, and there’s already some buzz around what he might bring as a rookie. “I really like our sixth-round pick, Malik Benson,” veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins told ESPN's Dan Graziano.
Whittington, who went undrafted before signing with Houston, also had a solid debut for the Texans. In a 27-7 home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, he led the team on the ground with 13 carries for 40 yards. That kind of workload gives him a chance to keep pressing for a spot on the Texans’ final 53-man roster, especially with a running back room that includes Woody Marks and David Montgomery.
At Oregon last season, Whittington topped the Ducks in rushing with 129 carries for 829 yards and six touchdowns. He finished his six-year college career - which included two seasons at Western Kentucky - with 523 carries for 2,950 yards and 21 touchdowns.
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Oregon May Have Found An Unexpected Linebacker Answer
Bleu Dantzler arrived in Eugene as an unusual addition to Oregons linebacker room this offseason, bringing a cross-rival transfer story that already makes him one of the more interesting names in camp. A former Oregon State linebacker, Dantzler has spent the summer trying to carve out a place on a defense that is still sorting through its depth, and he has apparently made a strong impression on the coaches watching him every day.
Dan Lanning and defensive ends coach Kamran Araghi have both pointed to Dantzlers work ethic and the progress he has made during fall camp, a good sign for a player looking to turn an opportunity into a role. For Oregon, the appeal is obvious: if Dantzler keeps developing, he could become a useful piece in the front seven as the Ducks get closer to the season. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lanning Likes What He Sees From Oregon But Two Concerns Remain
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Even so, the review was not a clean sweep. Lanning flagged ball security and special teams as areas that still need attention, a reminder that August evaluations are as much about identifying leaks as they are celebrating progress. Oregon will keep pushing through practice, with media access coming later in the week, and those next sessions should offer a better sense of how quickly the Ducks can tighten up the details that matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Quarterback Room Gives The Ducks A Rare Edge In 2026
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Dylan Raiola adds another layer of security and intrigue after arriving as a former Nebraska starter, giving Oregon a backup with real experience and the upside to be much more than that. Behind him, Brock Thomas and redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr. give the Ducks more names to work with than most teams can claim anywhere on the roster. It is the kind of depth that can keep Oregon steady if the season turns volatile, while also setting up a quarterback conversation that may not be settled anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]