Oregon’s defense already had the look of a unit loaded with high-end talent in 2025, and now two Ducks are getting national recognition to match. Defensive tackle A’Mauri Washington and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. both landed inside the top 10 of the nation’s defensive players entering this fall, with Washington checking in at No. 4 and Finney right behind at No. 8.
Washington’s rise has been especially eye-catching. In his first season as a starter, he put up 33 tackles, 15 pressures, 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and eight pass break ups.
That kind of production pushed him into first-round territory for the 2026 NFL Draft, if he had chosen to leave. Instead, he came back to Eugene, where he’ll be part of what should be a loaded front four for the Ducks.
"Coach Dan Lanning has praised Washington as an extremely explosive and powerful player, one who had to work on his competitive stamina," ESPN's Eli Lederman and Max Olsen wrote. "He made good gains last year, staying on the field for 50-plus snaps against five ranked opponents.
Personnel staffers surveyed by ESPN were higher on Washington and Bear Alexander, the former USC and Georgia transfer who put together his best season in 2025, than pass rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. But with all four returning, Oregon's veteran D-line will be a force this fall."
Finney’s path was different, but the impact was just as loud. The four-star recruit in the 2025 class was not supposed to walk into a starting job, yet he forced his way onto the field and delivered 42 tackles, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack.
The Maryland native also came through in big moments, including a fourth-quarter pick-six against Indiana in Week 7. Later, in the Orange Bowl against Texas Tech, he added two interceptions and a forced fumble, earning Defensive MVP honors.
"The 6-foot-2, 203-pound cover man didn't allow a catch in eight of his 15 starts and surrendered just 12 catches on 37 targets last season," Lederman and Olsen wrote. "According to ESPN Research, Finney finished with the second-best contested target rate (73%) in FBS last season. Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi trusted him enough to let him play 111 snaps in press coverage, fifth most in the Big Ten."
Oregon edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei and safety Koi Perich also received votes for the top 10 but fell just short of making the list.
In Other News...
Oregon Just Pulled Off Its Most Over The Top Flex Yet
Dan Lanning and several Oregon players are in Tokyo this week for the Tokyo-Oregon Football Showcase, and the Ducks brought their own kind of billboard with them. The University of Oregon hauled its inflatable Duck mascot across the Pacific and planted it in one of the sports favorite stages, using the trip to keep the program visible while also pushing American football to a global audience.
The scene got even more over the top with the Duck displayed alongside an inflatable Godzilla, a pairing that feels tailor-made for Oregons brand of marketing excess. Dante Moores Heisman campaign billboards were part of the backdrop too, and after Oregon teased the setup in a video, Moores Instagram story helped confirm the mascots arrival in Japan. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon And Nike Are Sending A Message Ducks Fans Already Feel
The familiar Oregon-Nike partnership was on display again this week, with The Opening Finals in Beaverton bringing elite high school talent into the Ducks' orbit while the program continues building toward the 2026 season under Dan Lanning. It is the kind of scene Oregon has made part of its identity for years, where recruiting, branding and on-field ambition all blur together in a way few programs can match.
For Ducks fans, the timing is the point. Oregon is trying to keep momentum with key players returning and recruiting still active, and the program's reach is stretching well beyond Eugene as Lanning and a few players head to Tokyo for a football showcase presented by Flight Club. Between the prospect pipeline at home and the international spotlight abroad, Oregon and Nike are sending the same message fans have heard before: this remains a program built to think bigger than one season. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Took Another Painful Loss On The Offensive Line Trail
The recruiting board took another hit for Oregon in the offensive line chase, as four-star Caden Moss came off the board to Ohio State after drawing interest from the Ducks and several other national powers. A highly regarded interior lineman in the 2027 class, Moss was the sort of prospect Oregon had every reason to pursue aggressively, especially with the program continuing to build toward another elite haul on the offensive front.
Oregon still has four offensive linemen committed and remains highly ranked in the national class race, but misses like this one are the reminder that the Ducks are still fighting heavyweight battles for premium trench talent. There is at least another chance to add momentum soon, with four-star Gecova Doyal set to decide on July 1 and give Oregon another swing at a lineman it would love to land. [Read more 🡒]