Jonathan Stewart is not easing into Oregon’s 2026 outlook. He’s all in.
The former Ducks star, who ran through Eugene from 2005 to 2007 and piled up 1,722 yards in his final season, put three huge predictions on the table for Oregon’s next team. He made them on X, formerly Twitter, on Aug. 29, and the reaction followed fast, with the post drawing nearly 80 likes in one hour.
His first call was the biggest of all: “Oregon Ducks will win the natty this year,” Stewart began, backing the Ducks to win their first national title ever.
He didn’t stop there. Stewart also threw his support behind quarterback Dante Moore, predicting a Heisman Trophy win for him.
Then came another pair of eye-catching takes: “Tight end Jamari Johnson will be a top 10 NFL Draft pick. Defense will be the biggest difference maker this season,” Stewart added.
There’s plenty in Oregon’s setup to explain why Stewart is so bullish. Moore is back, and he’s working with speed all over the offense, including wide receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore. The Ducks also return both of their top running backs in Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill, while Johnson gives them another high-end weapon at tight end after Kenyon Sadiq and Terrance Ferguson.
Stewart also appears to be buying into Oregon’s strength up front. The Ducks bring back edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, then add A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander inside. Under Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Chris Hampton, that front has the look of a unit that can force opponents into bad choices all season long.
The bigger picture matters too. Stewart may be looking at the Big Ten’s recent run of national champions - Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana last season.
Indiana won its first-ever national crown in 127 seasons of football, and Oregon is still chasing its own first. Stewart clearly believes the Ducks can keep that conference streak rolling.
He’s seen enough quarterback play in Eugene to know what that position can mean there, from Justin Herbert to Bo Nix and more recently Dillon Gabriel. Moore’s return seems to be a major reason Stewart is so confident.
Oregon opens 2026 against Boise State on Sept. 5, but there are tougher tests waiting after that. USC comes in at No. 14 and brings its own Heisman candidate at quarterback in Jayden Maiava, along with a deep set of weapons and experience along the defensive line. Then there’s the November trip to Columbus, where Ohio State handled Oregon in the last meeting and still has Jeremiah Smith back at wide receiver.
Even with those hurdles, Stewart is betting on a season that ends with the Ducks on top.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Got Another Reason To Believe This Team Is Different
Oregon is heading into the 2026 season with a national spotlight it has earned, not inherited. The Ducks open at No. 2 in the AP poll and, according to ESPNs Top-100 college football players, they also have eight players on the list, more than any other FBS team. That kind of depth is usually what separates contenders from the pack, and it starts with quarterback Dante Moore sitting at No. 11, followed by defensive tackle AMauri Washington at No. 16 and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. at No. 24.
What makes the number even more striking is how much star power it hints at on both sides of the ball. Oregon is not leaning on one elite name to carry the burden, and that gives the Ducks a different kind of credibility as the season approaches. The rankings are only a snapshot, of course, but for a program trying to prove it can stay at the front of the sport, this is the sort of recognition that suggests the roster is built to last. [Read more 🡒]
Which Former Ducks Survived NFL Cuts And Who Didn't
NFL teams have trimmed down to their 53-man rosters for the 2026 season, and the latest round of cuts offered a familiar snapshot for Oregon fans tracking the league. The Ducks were well represented among the survivors, with quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Bo Nix both making their teams, while all seven Oregon players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft also stuck on rosters after the preseason.
Not every former Duck found a landing spot, though. DJ Johnson and Troy Hill were among the veterans who were cut, and former Oregon running back Noah Whittington was let go by the Houston Texans after signing as an undrafted free agent. The rookies who did make it out of camp have given Oregon supporters some early reasons to pay attention, especially linebacker Bryce Boettcher and safety Dillon Thieneman, whose preseason work helped them keep their places, even as the full picture of this years Ducks-in-the-NFL group continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Gabriels NFL Debut Just Hit A Frustrating Early Roadblock
Dillon Gabriels first NFL season has already been forced into an unexpected pause, with the Browns planning to open the year by placing the former Oregon quarterback on injured reserve because of a back injury he sustained in the preseason finale against New England. The move, finalized as Cleveland trimmed to its 53-player roster, means Gabriel will miss the first four games even after turning in a strong performance in that last preseason outing.
For Gabriel, the timing is especially frustrating because the injury arrived just as he was trying to finish camp on a high note and secure his place in Clevelands quarterback room. Rookie Taylen Green made the team as the third quarterback, leaving the Browns to navigate the early part of the season without Gabriel, who said the preseason brought plenty of challenges but also gave him encouragement from how he played before the setback. [Read more 🡒]