Oregon enters the 2026 season with the kind of roster that can make bold forecasts feel less like wishful thinking and more like a roadmap. Dan Lanning is heading into year five, the Ducks bring back key starters, and there are several players positioned to put up eye-catching numbers on both sides of the ball.
One of the clearest breakout candidates is Dierre Hill Jr. After flashing as a true freshman in 2025, Hill should be in line for a much bigger workload.
He finished with 656 rushing yards as a freshman and, even though he got more chances later in the year, he only topped double-digit carries once. His biggest single-game output came against Northwestern, when he ran for 94 yards, and he closed the season with 86 rushing yards against Indiana.
With more comfort in Oregon’s offense and a larger role in the backfield, Hill looks set to push well beyond his freshman total and could get close to 1,000 rushing yards.
Matayo Uiagalelei is another player who could put his name in Oregon’s record book. He broke out in 2024 with 10.5 sacks, then followed that with six sacks in 2025.
Even with Teitum Tuioti leading the team last season with 9.5 sacks, Uiagalelei still has a real shot at a monster final year in Eugene. Nick Reed’s 13-sack season in 2008 remains the program standard, and Uiagalelei’s 2024 total is already tied for 10th in Oregon history.
He has 18.5 career sacks, leaving him just half a sack from the program’s top 10 all-time. If he gets to 11 or more sacks in 2026, he could tie or own the Oregon single-season record.
Dante Moore’s touchdown total might be the boldest projection of the bunch. In his first season as Oregon’s starter in 2025, he threw for 30 touchdowns and added two more on the ground.
That number could climb because the Ducks have added more firepower around him. Oregon brought in former five-star receiver recruits Gatlin Bair and Jalen Lott, along with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks.
Moore also didn’t have Evan Stewart in 2025, and Stewart had five touchdowns in 2024. Dakorien Moore returns healthier, while Jeremiah McClellan and tight end Jamari Johnson remain part of the mix.
Moore’s growth in the offense matters too. He didn’t score his first career rushing touchdown until the final regular-season game of 2025, then found the end zone again in the next game.
That opens the door for a career-best rushing total as well. If Moore keeps building on what he showed last season, 50 total touchdowns is not out of the question.
Bo Nix reached 51 total touchdowns for Oregon in 2023, and Moore would need a similar leap to get there. The biggest obstacle would be blowouts that send backup quarterbacks into the game for extended stretches in the fourth quarter.
If Uiagalelei and Moore hit those kinds of numbers, Oregon could also climb into top-15 territory in turnover margin. The Ducks finished No. 34 in Division I in 2025 with a margin of six.
They forced 21 turnovers, including 15 interceptions and six fumble recoveries, while giving it away 15 times, with 10 interceptions and five fumbles. Brandon Finney Jr. is expected to make a sophomore jump, and the addition of transfer safety Koi Perich could help the interception total rise.
Oregon’s starting defensive line also returns, which gives the Ducks a chance to create more fumbles from an experienced group. On offense, Moore threw 10 interceptions last season, but only two came against non-ranked teams.
With more experience in big games, he could keep that number steady or even cut it down.
Dan Lanning also has a path to his first Big Ten Coach of the Year award, though the competition will be fierce. Curt Cignetti has won the honor in each of his first two seasons at Indiana and now has the Hoosiers in the national title picture after an undefeated 2025 run.
But voter fatigue could become a factor in 2026. Indiana’s schedule includes Michigan, Ohio State and USC, while Ohio State has to deal with Oregon, Indiana, Michigan and USC, plus a non-conference game against Texas.
If the Buckeyes drop more than one of those matchups, Ryan Day’s case gets shaky fast.
For Lanning, the formula is straightforward: win the big games. Oregon would need to beat Ohio State, USC and Michigan to give him a real shot. Even if the Ducks stumble once in the regular season, a strong run against top opponents could still keep him in the mix for the award.
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What stands out for Oregon is the absence of Brandon Finney Jr., who has still been treated like one of the sports premier defensive backs entering 2026. PFF had him high on its overall Preseason College 50, and he has already collected major preseason recognition elsewhere, so leaving him off a list built around turnover-hungry defenders is the sort of omission Ducks fans are not likely to forget anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
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The class now stretches across 17 states and gives the Ducks a broad footprint that matches the ambition of the ranking. ESPN also points to five-star cornerback Hayden Stepp as one of the classs top defensive headliners, a reminder that Oregons push is not just about flash on offense but about assembling difference-makers on both sides of the ball. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Is Locked In A High-Stakes Battle For A Blue-Chip EDGE
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For the Ducks, the appeal goes beyond adding another talented defender. They are planning ahead for possible roster turnover at edge rusher and view Tillman as a player who could fit into that next wave. He is expected to visit both schools, and with the two programs still very much in the mix, Oregon has a chance to make a strong impression before this recruitment starts to narrow. [Read more 🡒]