EUGENE - The biggest conversation around Oregon’s offense this month has centered on the offensive line, and for good reason. It’s the one obvious question hanging over a No. 2 Ducks team that otherwise looks stacked everywhere you turn.
But inside the building, there’s a different kind of confidence taking shape. The pieces around quarterback Dante Moore are deep, experienced and dangerous, and the people coaching them believe the Ducks can put up points even while the front five sorts itself out.
“We’re in a great spot right now,” offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer said this week as fall camp wraps up. “Certainly, our defense presents its own set of issues that we’ve got to work through, too, which has been fantastic for us and awesome to work with.”
Moore is a big part of why the optimism feels real. Coaches say his mobility has improved, he’s more willing to adjust plays at the line, and his processing is sharper and faster.
The arm talent has always been there. Now, there’s a growing sense that the whole package is coming together, and that’s one reason he has a shot to go No. 1 in next year’s NFL Draft.
Oregon has also kept the offense from becoming a science project. The Ducks have added wrinkles and pushed Moore with information, but they haven’t blown up the system. This is still expected to look a lot like Will Stein’s offense, which matters for continuity as much as anything else.
“I think that it’s always a fine line and a balance of, we could do this, but really the question is, do we need to do it?” Mehringer said.
“There’s always ideas. I have an idea board in the offensive staff room where guys are like, ‘Hey, dude, this would be awesome.’
And you’re like, okay, great. But when are we gonna put that in?”
That same theme of continuity runs through the rest of the offense. At running back, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill are a year older, stronger and smarter, and the depth behind them could matter a lot. Tradarian Ball is part of that group, along with veteran Simeon Price, who younger players call “Unc,” short for uncle, because he’s much older than most of them and brings plenty of wisdom.
“The ... older running backs in that room, I think they’ve got a really good culture of pushing each other,” Mehringer said. “And I don’t know that I hear another position, at least on offense, coach each other the way they do.”
Tight end is a different story. Jamari Johnson is the headliner in a room that is otherwise young and still proving itself, but Oregon has reason to believe there’s more there. Johnson now carries the expectation of following the recent Oregon tight ends who turned breakout seasons into NFL opportunities.
“I think we’ve seen a lot of good things from all those guys,” Mehringer, at one time the Ducks’ tight ends coach, said. “I think that the tight end position kind of grows a little bit slower than others.
Just because, aside from throwing the football, they do pretty much everything else. There’s a lot of skill and a lot of knowledge.”
Then there’s receiver, where the Ducks may have their deepest argument for being truly loaded. Evan Stewart is the name drawing the most attention right now, thanks in part to the chemistry he’s built with Moore in camp.
But he’s far from alone. Oregon has four players who can make a case to be the top option, and freshmen Messiah Hampton and Gatlin Bair are pushing for snaps as well.
“Coach (Ross) Douglas, he’s done a great job in there with those guys,” Mehringer said of the wideouts. “They’re not just pretty boys out there.
They’ve gotta be tough and play tough. They’ve got to block in the run game and do all the stuff necessary for us to be able to win games in a variety of fashions.
We’ve got guys out there ... I think any of them can go change a game.”
That’s why the buzz around Oregon’s offense has only grown as camp has gone on. Mehringer said he hasn’t felt much tension or hesitation while overseeing the group, even while admitting that taking on the full job of offensive coordinator has been a challenge. Still, the tone around the room sounds steady and upbeat.
Return this much talent, keep the system familiar and let the quarterback keep growing, and the Ducks believe they’ve got something special.
“There’s a quote from Jack Harbaugh that I say quite often: ‘Who’s got it better than us? Nobody.’”
Mehringer said. “And he was saying that when he was the head coach at Western Kentucky, sitting on probably not a great bench or outside of a great locker room or anything like that.
And I actually said that to the offense today. Who’s got better than us, man?
“All the stuff that we have going around here, and you’ve got the best head coach in the country. ... I love all of them, right? And they’re a lot of fun to be around.”
In Other News...
Oregon Suddenly Has A New Concern With A Key Defender
Oregons preseason work brought a small but notable concern into focus when the programs social media account posted photos of EDGE/LB Nasir Wyatt practicing with a club on his right hand. The images immediately stood out because Wyatt is viewed as one of the Ducks key defensive pieces heading into the season, the kind of player Oregon wants available and sharp as it continues to sort out its defense.
Wyatt was still on the field, which is the encouraging part for Oregon, and it suggests the issue may not be serious enough to keep him out of action for long. Even so, any hand injury involving a defender whose value comes from playing with force and disruption bears watching, especially at this point in camp when the Ducks are trying to build toward the opener with as few unknowns as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Camp Just Raised The Stakes For Boise State And Evan Stewart
Oregons second day of fall practice brought more than just another morning session on the calendar. Defensive coordinator Chris Hampton made it clear the Ducks are treating the season opener like a real game week, saying the defense wont be holding anything back against Boise State. For a team that has spent camp building routines and sharpening timing, the message suggests Oregon is already leaning into the urgency of Week 1 rather than easing into the season.
On the other side of that buildup is Evan Stewart, whose return from injury has become one of the more compelling storylines in camp. Safety Koi Perich, who has been bonding with teammates through a golf simulator in his garage, spoke highly of Stewart while noting the receiver is expected to play his first game in more than 600 days. For Oregon, that adds another layer to an opener that already feels bigger than a typical early-season matchup, even before the Ducks take the field. [Read more 🡒]
Dakorien Moore Is Forcing A Big Oregon Receiver Question
Dakorien Moore has already given Oregon a glimpse of why he arrived with so much buzz, and it has come even while he has been working through injuries. The freshman wide receiver has flashed enough in camp to keep the conversation around him moving, including a standout one-handed grab that served as a reminder of just how naturally explosive he can be.
For the Ducks, the bigger question is not whether Moore belongs in the mix, but how quickly he can push his way toward the front of a crowded receiver room. Oregon has plenty of talent at the position, yet Moores early promise suggests he could become more than just another young option if his health and development keep trending the right way. [Read more 🡒]