Ziyare Addison didn’t just show up in Oregon’s season opener. He showed up in the biggest spot on the line.
The 6-foot-5, 311-pound sophomore started at left tackle against Boise State last weekend, a notable turn for a player who had logged only eight snaps in college football before getting the nod to protect Dante Moore’s blind side. Addison was on the field for every offensive snap, and Oregon’s revamped front did enough to help Moore post a career-high 378 passing yards and three touchdowns in the Ducks’ 34-27 win.
“I thought we performed pretty strong,” Addison said Tuesday. “Coach (Dan) Lanning and (offensive line) coach (A’lique) Terry are always going to put the best guys out there and put us all in the best position to win.
So, I felt like we executed out there pretty well. Dante had a career-high in passing yards and up there in touchdowns as well, so I don’t think we did too shabby.”
Now comes the next test: No. 6 Oregon (1-0) travels to face Oklahoma State (0-1) at 9 a.m. PT Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater.
Addison’s rise happened behind the scenes, even as the outside view pointed in a different direction. Junior Fox Crader had been the expected starter at left tackle, especially after he made his first career start there last season against Southern California and played well. Instead, Crader opened this year at right tackle, with guards Douglas Utu and Michael Bennett III flanking veteran center Poncho Laloulu.
Lanning said Addison earned the job with his offseason work and the way he settled into the position.
"He's always been really aggressive and powerful,” Lanning said. “He has great athleticism at the position.
I think what he did is he was able to calm down and play right rather than trying to force things to happen. Just consistency, a level of consistency.
But he's got athleticism and great ability. He works extremely hard.
He's very conscientious about it.
“… Ziyare's been infatuated with his improvement, improving, being good for the team, doing his job for the team, and he'll have to continue to do that. For us, we have high expectations for him."
That development mattered after a freshman season in 2025 that gave Addison very little runway. He played in just two games and took four snaps at left tackle against Montana State and Oklahoma State. Rather than letting that stall him, he used the offseason to push for a bigger role.
“Everybody want to be a freshman all-American, everyone wants to come in and be that top freshman,” Addison said. “Shoot, I wanted to be one of those guys. But I think sitting back and taking a back seat, learning behind Isaiah World, Emmanuel Pregnon, (Alex) Harkey, all those guys, I think just taking a backseat role, sitting and evaluating and learning, taking pieces of everybody’s game and making it my own, shaped me to be the player I am now.”
For Addison and Lanning, the breakthrough came when the focus shifted from results to daily work.
“Fall in love with process,” is how Addison described it.
"He's always been motivated,” Lanning said. “He's always been a hard worker since the day he got here.
I think you talk about outcome-based goals versus just focusing on the process. I think what he really honed in on this year is focusing on the process.
What are the things that are going to get me where I want to go?”
Addison’s first start was a major step, and he’s not hiding the fact that he wants the spot to stick.
“I’m just hungry for more,” Addison said.
In Other News...
Oregons Boise State Win Just Took On A Different Look
Oregons narrow escape against Boise State looked a little different once the first week of the season was fully digested. The Ducks still sit comfortably inside the top 10 in ESPNs Football Power Index at No. 8 with a 22.7 rating, but their season-opening win came with a smaller bump than they probably wanted after being pushed harder than expected.
The matchup also looks more workable now from Oregons side, with Oklahoma State down at No. 72 in the FPI after a loss to Tulsa and a -1.6 rating. The Cowboys are still sorting through a roster with several new faces, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker, and they also took a hit up front with starting left tackle Jacob Sexton out for the rest of the season, which only adds to the sense that this Week 2 game has changed shape since it was first circled. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons New Uniform Reveal Taps Into What Makes This Program Different
The newest Oregon uniform reveal leaned into the programs long habit of treating game day as a showcase as much as a contest, with the Ducks unveiling a combination inspired by their 2008 Mighty Oregon and Gang Green looks before facing Oklahoma State. Running back Jordon Davison modeled the set, which nods to past Ducks players such as Jeremiah Johnson while drawing on the schools well-known history of pushing the edge with its on-field style.
Oregons latest look is another product of the collaborative process that has long defined these reveals, with Nike, designers and team personnel all part of the mix. Fans are being asked to wear green to the game as part of the theme, adding another layer to an atmosphere the Ducks have helped make part of their brand, even as each new uniform drop keeps one familiar question hanging in the air about where the next idea will come from. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lannings Freshman O-Line Message Says A Lot About Oregons Priorities
Freshmen offensive linemen Immanuel Iheanacho and Tommy Tofi are still in the early stages of the climb at Oregon, and Dan Lanning made it clear after the opener against Boise State that the Ducks are not handing out jobs based on reputation alone. Oregon leaned on a rotation of six to eight linemen in that game, with the more experienced players getting the nod to start, a sign that the staff is comfortable letting the front sort itself out while the newcomers get their footing.
For a program that has made roster depth and development part of its identity, the message to the two freshmen was as much about process as it was about patience. Lanning pointed to effort and learning the system as the key steps before either player can expect consistent snaps, which says plenty about how Oregon plans to handle the offensive line this fall. The talent is there, but the Ducks are making it clear that trust in the trenches has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]