Oregon’s preseason hardware keeps piling up, and the Ducks are making a clear statement before the 2026 season even begins.
The biggest splash came on the Lombardi Award watch list, where Oregon landed a nation-leading five players Tuesday. Tight end Jamari Johnson, center Iapani Laloulu, outside linebackers Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, and defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington all earned spots on the list for the award that goes to college football’s top offensive or defensive lineman while also honoring the character and discipline tied to Vince Lombardi.
That five-player haul says plenty about the kind of roster Dan Lanning has built. Oregon is bringing back proven production on both sides of the line of scrimmage, and that group sits at the heart of another College Football Playoff push.
Laloulu is the headliner in the middle. The center arrives as one of the most accomplished players at his position in the country after a 2025 season that included first-team FWAA All-American honors, third-team Associated Press All-American recognition, and a spot as a finalist for the Rimington Trophy and semifinalist for the Outland Trophy. He started all 15 games at center last season, giving up just one sack and 11 pressures in 442 pass-blocking opportunities, and he has now started Oregon’s last 30 games dating back to the 2024 Fiesta Bowl.
Johnson gives the Ducks an offensive weapon on the Lombardi list, too. He broke through as one of the Big Ten’s better tight ends in 2025, finishing with 32 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns. Two of those scores came during Oregon’s College Football Playoff run, and his 510 receiving yards ranked sixth all-time for a tight end in a single season at Oregon.
The defensive front is where Oregon really loads up. Tuioti is coming off a 2025 breakout in which he posted career highs with 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, and he had at least one tackle for loss in each of Oregon’s first 14 games. He heads into 2026 as a Walter Camp preseason first-team All-American.
Uiagalelei also returns after a disruptive season that featured a team-best 52 pressures, which ranked second in the Big Ten and 17th nationally. He finished 2025 with 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Before that, he led the Big Ten during the 2024 regular season with 10.5 sacks.
Washington gives Oregon another proven body up front. He started all 15 games along the defensive line last season and set career highs with 33 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
He also added eight pass breakups, tied for the most by an FBS defensive lineman. Washington is already on the preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Outland Trophy and picked up second-team preseason All-America honors from Walter Camp.
The national recognition didn’t stop there. Quarterback Dante Moore was named to the preseason watch list for the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy, which recognizes college football players for their commitment to community service.
Moore is already on the Maxwell Award watch list and earned Big Ten preseason honors after guiding Oregon to the College Football Playoff semifinals in his first season as the Ducks’ starter. He completed 296 of 412 passes for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 2025, while his 71.8 percent completion rate was the fourth-best single-season mark in program history.
He also took home offensive MVP honors in Oregon’s College Football Playoff quarterfinal win in the Orange Bowl.
With preseason accolades stacking up across the roster, Oregon enters Lanning’s fifth season ranked No. 2 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The Ducks are in fall camp now and open the season Sept. 5 against Boise State at Autzen Stadium.
In Other News...
Ohio State Fans Wont Love Who Helped Oregon Grab The Top Spot
Preseason polls are already giving the 2026 college football conversation an early jolt, and Oregon has landed right in the middle of it. On3 put Ohio State at No. 1 even without a first-place vote, but the Ducks still managed to draw some top billing of their own, a sign that the national view of Dan Lannings program remains strong even as the roster and staff continue to evolve.
Oregons case starts with the kind of continuity that poll voters tend to notice this time of year. Dante Moore is back at quarterback, the Ducks bring back key receivers and most of their defensive starters, and the foundation from last season is still intact. The wrinkle is on the sidelines, where Oregon will have new coordinators after coaching departures, leaving the Ducks with plenty of proven talent and just enough uncertainty to keep the top of the rankings interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Crowded QB Room Says A Lot About This Teams Ceiling
Oregons quarterback room has become one of the more interesting pressure points on the roster, and Brock Thomas is right in the middle of it. The redshirt junior has stayed put even with returning starter Dante Moore in place and transfer Dylan Raiola now added to the mix, a sign of how much talent the Ducks are trying to keep under one roof. Thomas has flashed in limited game action and in practice, and he remains part of a group that also includes redshirt freshman Akili Smith Jr., giving Oregon more depth and more options than most programs can claim.
For Thomas, the situation also carries a longer view. He has the kind of profile that could eventually make a starting job elsewhere tempting if the path stays crowded in Eugene, but for now he is focused on helping the Ducks in whatever role they need. That kind of internal competition says plenty about Oregons ceiling, because it suggests the staff is trying to balance immediate production with future upside at the most important position on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Markus Dixon Returns To Oregon With One Big Role To Prove
Markus Dixons arrival gives Oregon another interesting piece to sort through at tight end as fall camp gets underway. The Clemson transfer brings position flexibility and a frame that the Ducks can use in a room that needed reinforcements after a starter left for the NFL Draft, which made his addition more than just a depth move on paper.
What makes Dixon worth watching is how much remains unsettled about his fit. Oregon brought him in to help the tight end group, but his exact assignment is still being determined as camp unfolds, leaving him with a clear chance to carve out something bigger than a reserve role if he can quickly show the staff where he belongs. [Read more 🡒]