The Oregon Ducks have spent years building toward this moment, and 2026 is being framed as the season when all the pieces could finally line up for a first national championship in program history.
A big reason for that optimism starts in the trenches. Oregon is bringing back every starting defensive lineman in 2026, and the expectation is that group has to deliver on the buzz surrounding it.
The Ducks have gotten plenty of edge production from Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, but the interior has not matched that level of impact. A’Mauri Washington, who has been mentioned as a possible first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, finished last season with fewer than two sacks and just 15 tackles.
If Oregon’s defensive front performs the way people around the program think it can, that would go a long way toward pushing the Ducks into title territory.
Dante Moore is another major piece of the puzzle. He made headlines this offseason when he announced on SportsCenter that he was returning to Eugene, and he now enters his second year as Oregon’s starting quarterback with a strong 2025 season already in the bank.
Moore showed what he can do in flashes, including a 305-yard, four-touchdown outing against Oregon State. But he also had his rough patches, including the regular-season game against Indiana, when he threw for 186 yards and two interceptions.
The next step is consistency.
Oregon’s coaching staff is also getting a reset. The Ducks will have two new coordinators this season, with Drew Mehringer taking over as offensive coordinator and Chris Hampton stepping in as defensive coordinator.
First-time coordinator jobs can bring some uncertainty, but Dan Lanning has earned enough trust in Eugene that the hires should be judged through his lens. If he believes Mehringer and Hampton are the right fits, Ducks fans are likely to buy in.
Mehringer won’t be short on options. Oregon has transfer wide receiver Iverson Hooks and returning wide receiver Dakorien Moore on the outside, plus two standout running backs in Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. That gives the new offensive coordinator plenty to work with as he settles into the role.
For Oregon, the path is clear enough: the defensive line has to live up to the hype, Dante Moore has to keep growing and push toward Heisman-level play, and both new coordinators have to avoid early growing pains. If those things happen, the Ducks will like where they stand next January.
In Other News...
Oregons Running Back Room Just Earned A Massive National Ranking
Oregons backfield is already drawing national attention after CBS Sports slotted the Ducks running back room third in the country, a nod to how much production is returning and how much depth is piling up behind it. The group is headlined by sophomores Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., who gave Oregon a steady one-two punch last season and now give the offense a proven foundation to build around again.
Davison and Hill combined for more than 1,500 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns in 2025, and the Ducks are not stopping there. Colorado transfer Simeon Price has joined the mix, while freshmen Brandon Smith and Tradarian Ball are also in the room, giving Oregon a crowded competition for the next snaps and a depth chart that still has some sorting out to do. [Read more 🡒]
Dana Altman Suddenly Has Oregon Back In A Familiar Conversation
After a rough 2025-26 season that left Oregon at 12-20 overall and 5-15 in Big Ten play, the Ducks are suddenly back in a conversation they badly needed. CBS Sports insider Jon Rothstein has pointed to Oregon as a potential sleeper in the league for 2026-27, and the reason is simple enough: the roster has been turned over almost completely through the transfer portal, giving Dana Altman a fresh group to work with in his 17th season.
Oregon lost eight players and brought in eight transfers, a makeover that gives Altman a chance to reset the program quickly rather than spend another year patching holes. Rothsteins view is that the Ducks could be one of the most improved teams in the Big Ten and have a path back to the NCAA Tournament, which is exactly the kind of expectation shift that can change the mood around a program before the season even starts. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Lannings Rare Oregon Portal Misses Still Sting For Ducks Fans
Oregons transfer-portal haul has usually been a point of pride under Dan Lanning, but not every addition has delivered the instant boost fans expected. Makhi Hughes, Isaiah World and Caleb Chapman all arrived with real buzz and the sense that they could help shape the Ducks season, yet each one ran into a different kind of roadblock once the games started.
Hughes never found a consistent role in the backfield, World had stretches where his play did not match the lofty projections attached to him, and Chapmans time in Eugene was derailed by injuries before he could build momentum. For a program that leans on the portal to patch holes and raise the ceiling, those misses still stand out because they show how quickly a promising fit can turn into a quiet footnote. [Read more 🡒]