As Oregon works through the first full week of fall camp, the biggest questions aren’t about whether the Ducks have talent. They do. The real intrigue is how that talent gets sorted out before the Sept. 5 opener against Boise State at Autzen Stadium.
This is a roster built to push for a national championship in Dan Lanning’s fifth season, and the competition is already showing up in the backfield and at wide receiver. Two of the clearest bets for the rest of camp: Jordon Davison could claim the starting running back job, and Dakorien Moore may be ready to separate himself in a crowded receiver room.
The running back picture changed after Noah Whittington left for the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent this offseason, but Oregon still has plenty of punch with Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. Both spent 2025 behind Whittington and still piled up 1,323 yards and 20 touchdowns combined. Davison led the Ducks on the ground with 15 touchdowns, and that production alone gives him a real edge heading into the opener.
Hill isn’t being pushed aside, though. The way Oregon can deploy both backs gives offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer room to get creative, and the Ducks have a chance to turn the position into one of the strongest duos in the Big Ten and beyond. Davison made it clear the competition is fierce, but the relationship is solid.
"We're going to compete every day. Don't get it wrong.
That's my brother, and I love him to death. We're going to compete every day.
We're going to push each other. At the end of the day, we want to see each other succeed, so we're all helping each other at the end of the day," said Davison.
On the perimeter, Moore is the name to watch. After a freshman season that produced 34 catches, 497 yards and three touchdowns, he has the chance to take a bigger leap if he stays healthy. He missed Oregon’s late-November stretch against Minnesota, Iowa, USC and Washington because of a non-contact knee injury, then came back for the College Football Playoff.
Now back at full strength, Moore enters camp with plenty of attention on him. He’s in a receiver group that also includes Evan Stewart, Jeremiah McClellan and UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, and all four are expected to play a major role in Oregon’s push this season. But Moore’s confidence suggests he’s aiming for more than just a supporting part.
"Just knowing what I trained for… To be the best. Yeah, to be the best.
I train like that, and I put it in mind. So I’m really praying that that’s the outcome that I get … When you train, it’s certain people you’ll see certain training that they’ll be able to breathe and talk while they’re training.
And if you're training, you shouldn’t be able to breathe and talk. So that’s why I push myself for it," Moore said.
That kind of mindset could be what pushes him into the top spot among Oregon’s receivers. With Dante Moore back as the starting quarterback, the Ducks have no shortage of options. But Dakorien Moore looks like the one most likely to rise above the rest as fall camp continues.
In Other News...
Drew Mehringer Is Giving Oregon Fans A New Offense To Debate
Drew Mehringer has only been in the Oregon offensive coordinator chair for the 2026 season, but there is already a sense that Ducks fans are going to spend plenty of time picking apart what hes building. The early word from inside the program is encouraging, with quarterback Dante Moore and offensive lineman Kawika Rogers both showing confidence in Mehringers eye for defensive tendencies and his ability to make the offense sharper as the season unfolds.
Mehringers approach is rooted in individual development, and that gives this transition a different feel than a simple playbook handoff. If he can get enough players growing in the right direction, the whole offense should benefit, but the real test for Oregon is how quickly that philosophy shows up on Saturdays and how much room it leaves for the kind of debate Duck fans tend to embrace when a new coordinator arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Has A Running Back Pushing For A Bigger Role This Fall
DaJaun Riggs is back in the conversation for Oregon this fall, and for the Ducks, that matters because the running back room already has established options in Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. Riggs has flashed enough in limited chances to make coaches take notice, and offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer has pointed to the work ethic and competitiveness he has brought throughout camp.
The biggest swing for Riggs is simple: he is healthy again after injuries kept him from carving out a larger role before, and Oregon is finally getting a fuller look at what he can do. He gives the Ducks a versatile piece at a position where depth always matters, and his push for snaps has become one of the more interesting subplots of fall camp as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]