Oregon is heading into Big Ten media days with a message that’s pretty hard to miss: this is a team that expects to be in the center of the conversation.
The Ducks selected quarterback Dante Moore, tight end Jamari Johnson and defensive end Teitum Tuioti to represent the program in Chicago on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the choices tell you plenty about how Oregon wants to present itself. On the latest Ducks Confidential podcast, Aaron Fentress and George Wrighster broke down why those three were the right picks and what they might say once they get to the podium on Wednesday.
Moore is the headliner. He chose to return to Eugene instead of entering the 2026 NFL draft, which instantly makes him the most compelling Oregon story heading into the season. He’s the face of the offense and the player most likely to draw the spotlight in Chicago.
Tuioti fits the bill as well. He’s a veteran on defense, and he also passed on NFL money to come back for more. Oregon clearly sees him as one of the players who can speak to the program’s mindset after another run that ended one step short of a national title.
Johnson is the interesting one.
He spent last season mostly in the background behind Kenyon Sadiq, but Oregon bringing him to media days suggests the Ducks expect a bigger role from him now. Wrighster pointed to the logic behind that move, saying, “I think that bringing one of your pass catchers and not disrupting your WR room was a good choice.”
That decision matters because it avoids stirring up a crowded receiver group. It also signals that Johnson is being elevated without creating extra noise elsewhere on the roster.
There’s also the broader picture of who could have been in the mix. Stewart missed last season with a knee injury, while Moore is a sophomore and McClellan is a redshirt sophomore. Wrighster noted that the latter two could be invited to media days.
As for how the Ducks are likely to sound when they take the stage, Wrighster expects a measured edge. “I think that they will project confidence without cockiness. I think that they will say - I think Dante especially and Teitum too probably - we came back to win a national championship.”
That’s the tone Oregon seems ready to carry into Chicago: confident, direct and without any need to overstate the point.
The Ducks aren’t coming in under the radar after losing only to the eventual national champion in each of the past two seasons. Fentress said the question he wants to explore from the ground at media days is how the rest of the Big Ten sees Oregon now.
That answer is coming soon, along with plenty more from the conference’s biggest annual stage.
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