Oregon’s backfield is getting plenty of national attention before the 2026 season even kicks off.
Pro Football Focus released its list of the top 10 highest graded returning running backs in the Big Ten, and the Ducks landed two players inside the top four. Dierre Hill Jr. came in at No. 2, while Jordon Davison checked in at No. 4.
PFF’s full list of highest rated returning Big Ten running backs was:
- Lendon Phillips Jr., Iowa Hawkeyes - 92.8
- Dierre Hill Jr., Oregon Ducks - 90.8
- Khobie Martin, Indiana Hoosiers - 89.6
- Jordon Davison, Oregon Ducks - 89.1
- Antwan Raymond, Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 89.0
- Jordan Marshall, Michigan Wolverines - 87.8
- Bo Jackson, Ohio State Buckeyes - 86.6
- Cam Edwards, Michigan State Spartans - 86.0
- Kamari Moulton, Iowa Hawkeyes - 82.3
- Waymond Jordan, USC Trojans - 81.6
Hill and Davison were both true freshmen for Oregon in 2025, and both are set to return for their sophomore seasons in Eugene in 2026. Even as first-year players, they finished as the Ducks’ second- and third-leading rushers behind senior Noah Whittington. With Whittington now battling for a roster spot in the NFL with the Houston Texans, the Oregon ground game is set to run through the two young backs.
Hill’s 2025 season was efficient and productive. He ran for 656 yards on 75 carries and scored five touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per attempt. He also added 16 catches for 137 yards and a receiving touchdown.
Davison brought the touchdown punch. He logged 113 carries for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 12 passes for 62 yards.
The Ducks could be even more dangerous on offense in 2026, especially with so many key pieces back. The headliner is quarterback Dante Moore.
Moore, a redshirt sophomore in 2025, started all 15 games and threw for 3,565 yards with 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He earned Third-team All-Big Ten honors and helped guide Oregon to the College Football Playoff semifinal.
After the season, it looked like Moore might head to the NFL early. He was projected as an early first-round pick for the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, he decided to return to Eugene.
That decision gives Oregon a major boost entering the new season, and it has Ducks fans looking at the bigger picture. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Oregon is tied with the defending national champion Indiana Hoosiers for the fourth-best odds to win the national title at +800.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are the favorite at +600, followed by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at +650 and the Texas Longhorns at +750.
Oregon opens the season at home against Boise State on Saturday, Sept. 5.
In Other News...
Chip Kelly Is Back In Oregon Talk For A Very Different Reason
Chip Kelly is back in Oregon conversation for a reason that has nothing to do with his old playbook in Eugene and everything to do with where he is coaching now. The former Ducks head coach is the offensive coordinator at Northwestern, where he is trying to help lift a program that has spent plenty of time searching for answers on that side of the ball, and his path since leaving Oregon has taken him through UCLA, Ohio State and the Las Vegas Raiders before landing in Evanston.
The schedule is doing the rest of the work here. Northwestern is set to see Oregon on Oct. 31 at Autzen Stadium, which gives Kelly a return to Eugene, and the Wildcats also draw Ohio State on Nov. 14 at Ohio Stadium. For a coach who has already worn a lot of different hats in a short span, those two games make this season feel a little more personal than most. [Read more 🡒]
Autzen Stadium Just Got Hit With Another Disrespectful National Take
A fresh national ranking debate has Autzen Stadium in the familiar spot of being respected, but not quite respected enough. Former Michigan lineman Taylor Lewan and former Nebraska linebacker Will Compton kicked around the loudest venues in college football on their podcast, and while Oregons home field got a mention, it was not placed near the top of their list of intimidating environments.
For Ducks fans, the slight is only going to fuel the argument that Autzen belongs in the same conversation as the sports loudest places, especially with other measurements and opposing voices keeping it in that tier. Oregons 2026 home slate should only add to the noise around the discussion, with marquee visits from Nebraska and Michigan shaping up as the kind of tickets that draw big crowds and a charged atmosphere. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Refuses To Fade In Another Massive California Recruiting Battle
Danny Lang has become one of the more interesting names in another major California recruiting fight, and Oregon is still very much in the mix. The four-star cornerback from Mater Dei is rated by Rivals as the No. 10 cornerback in the country, and both the Ducks and USC have spent time building relationships with him as his recruitment has moved along.
Oregons pitch is the kind that can still matter late in the process: player development, recent team success and the chance to point to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances. Lang already has a strong bond with the Trojans staff, but the Ducks have kept pressing as signing day approaches, hoping those same factors and the familiarity they have built can keep this one from being settled too soon. [Read more 🡒]