Two weeks into Oregon’s 2026 season, the Ducks’ rotation picture is getting clearer - and in a few spots, a lot more complicated.
At quarterback, there’s no mystery. Senior Dante Moore has taken every offensive snap so far. Even when he briefly looked like he might have to leave against Oklahoma State after losing his helmet, junior Dylan Raiola was the next man up, a sign that the transfer has moved ahead of former walk-on fifth-year Brock Thomas on the depth chart.
The backfield has been more of a true split. Sophomores Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill have divided the work mostly evenly, and at times Oregon has paired them in two-back looks with Davison serving as a lead blocker. Transfer fifth-year Simeon Price has been listed out with an injury for both weeks, while junior Da’Juan Riggs logged one carry late against Oklahoma State.
At tight end, senior Jamari Johnson and sophomore Andrew Olesh have handled the bulk of the snaps. Johnson’s late scratch last Saturday pushed Olesh into the primary role after he had only seen a handful of snaps against Boise State. Freshman Kendre Harrison also got a limited look in Stillwater, and transfer senior Markus Dixon showed up once on a goal-line play in a formation that included eight offensive linemen.
Receiver remains a tight group. Junior Jeremiah McClellan, sophomore Dakorien Moore, fifth-year Evan Stewart and freshman Messiah Hampton have been the main names in the mix.
Hampton was on the field in Week 1 but didn’t get targeted until Week 2. Dakorien Moore dealt with a minor injury in the second half against Boise State but still played the full game against Oklahoma State.
Fifth-year transfer Iverson “Strap” Hooks has been out injured to open the season, and freshman Hudson Lewis also appeared in Week 2 without being targeted.
Up front, Oregon’s preferred starting five looks to be sophomore Ziyare Addison at left tackle, sophomore Douglas Utu at left guard, senior Iapani Laloulu at center, fifth-year Dave Iuli at right guard and Fox Crader at right tackle, with Kawika Rogers as the sixth man. The tackles and center have stayed put, but the guard spots have been churned by injury.
Against Boise State, transfer fifth-year Michael Bennett started at right guard before Iuli replaced him in the fourth quarter. Utu started at left guard in that game, then didn’t return after halftime and was replaced by junior Trent Ferguson.
Ferguson later gave way to Rogers late in the first quarter at Oklahoma State when Utu was listed as out injured. Ferguson has also been used as an extra blocker at times, as he was last season.
More often, senior Gernorris Wilson, wearing No. 35, and freshman Tommy Tofi, wearing No. 80, have appeared as blocking tight ends.
Defensively, Oregon has leaned heavily on rotation, especially at tackle. The Ducks have mixed and matched with A’Mauri Washington, D’Antre Robinson, Bear Alexander, Aydin Breeland and Matthew Johnson.
The staff has been comfortable moving between a 1-tech and 3-tech look against 11 personnel, then shifting to a 3-0-3 alignment in run situations with a true nose tackle over the center. Washington was injured in Week 2, which opened the door for more Robinson snaps and a few appearances from freshman Anthony Jones.
On the edge, the group has been just as varied. Senior Tatum Tuioti, senior Matayo Uiagalelei, sophomore Nasir Wyatt and junior Elijah Rushing have all been part of the mix.
Oregon’s roster may label some of these players as defensive ends and others as outside linebackers, but the usage is what really matters: Tuioti works almost entirely from a two-point stance and at times even backs out like an inside linebacker, while Rushing, still wearing a club on one hand, is strictly a three-point-stance player. Uiagalelei and Wyatt do both.
Freshman Dutch Horisk also showed up in Week 2, though that seemed tied to the heat.
At linebacker, senior Jerry Mixon, fifth-year Devon Jackson and junior Dylan Williams played every snap against Boise State. That changed at Oklahoma State, where sophomore Gavin Nix joined the rotation, and former walk-on Will Straton also made a brief appearance late in the game.
The nickel spot has become one of the more interesting battles. Baylor transfer Carl Williams started there against Boise State but struggled, and he rotated with freshman Davon Benjamin the rest of that game.
The two continued to alternate in the first half at Oklahoma State before Benjamin was benched at halftime. Starting with the Cowboys’ second drive of the third quarter, sophomore Brandon Finney took over inside and only came off periodically for Williams when he needed a breather.
That may end up being the staff’s preferred answer, but it’s still a spot worth watching.
At safety, junior Aaron Flowers has held onto the boundary starting job and has played most of the snaps, with junior Peyton Woodward rotating in regularly. Junior Koi Perich has been the one defender who has played every snap so far this season at field safety.
Oregon is keeping the boundary-field split very strict at safety, even if the corners are handled more flexibly. The one exception is the Ducks’ “Y-set,” where the field safety drops to the middle of the field 8-10 yards off the line and the nickel moves deep to the field side.
Cornerback has also featured its own rotation. Finney started against Boise State at his usual spot, though he would occasionally slide to deep safety if Perich had to spin down in man coverage to the field side.
Junior Ify Obidegwu kept last year’s spot opposite him and was rotating with sophomore Na’eem Offord. Once Finney moved inside, Obidegwu and Offord handled all the outside corner reps.
Returning sophomore Dorian Brew and either of the two transfers have not been seen so far.
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NBC Sports analyst Joshua Perry stirred the pot on the Zack Gelb Show by floating a scenario no Oregon fan wants to hear: that Moore might fake an injury if the struggles continue in order to protect his NFL Draft stock. It is an uncomfortable debate because it puts Moores long-term future against his immediate obligation to keep playing, and it leaves Oregon with a storyline that can linger as long as the offense keeps searching for answers. [Read more 🡒]