Oregon’s fall camp opened Wednesday, and one of the first names to flash was the newest five-star in the receiver room.
Coach Dan Lanning said it was "one of my favorite parts of the year," adding that the Ducks were "flying around" in the first practice. He said the main thing he was monitoring was conditioning, but he came away satisfied with how the day went.
The early buzz around camp is obvious: which members of Oregon’s loaded 2026 recruiting class can force their way onto the field right away? After one practice, true freshman wideout Dakorien Lott already has a moment worth circling.
Lott was not an early enrollee. He got to Eugene after spring practices and the spring game in April, which makes his first camp highlight stand out even more.
It’s only one play, and Oregon isn’t even in pads yet, so nobody should pretend it means anything for the depth chart. But it does show why Lott is going to be hard to ignore in a receiver group packed with five-star talent.
On the clip, quarterback Dante Moore climbs the pocket under pressure and lets it fly deep. Lott tracks the ball, rises over tight coverage and hauls in a contested catch before hitting the turf.
The coverage came from sophomore defensive back Na’eem Offord, so it was a former five-star quarterback in Moore throwing to a former five-star receiver in Lott against a former five-star defender in Offord. That’s the kind of talent Oregon is working with.
Lott is listed at 6-0 and 175 pounds, and he came in as the No. 3 wide receiver recruit in the class of 2026. As a senior at Panther Creek in Texas, he caught 87 passes for 1,276 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He also starred in track and ran a 10.99 in the 100 meters. Oregon beat out Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, USC and more powerhouse programs to land him.
Fans will also notice Lott wearing No. 10, a number with real Oregon weight behind it. Some of the Ducks’ biggest offensive names have worn it, including former quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Bo Nix, both now NFL starters.
Lott arrives in Eugene as the highest-rated wide receiver prospect since Dakorien Moore, another Texas product. Oregon landed him despite a strong push from Texas and USC.
There’s also a natural comparison already forming between Lott and redshirt senior Evan Stewart. Both are listed at 6-0 and 175 pounds, and both bring a similar style.
The challenge for Lott is obvious: Oregon’s receiver room is crowded. In the expanded College Football Playoff era, when a team can play up to 17 games on the way to a national championship, depth matters more than ever. Oregon saw what happens when it thins out in 2025, when receiver injuries piled up, running back depth collapsed and the offense lost its balance.
This year, the Ducks are trying to answer that with volume and talent. Stewart is back, along with starters Dakorien Moore and Jeremiah McClellan, giving Oregon a group that belongs in the conversation with the best receiver units in the Big Ten and beyond.
Former Oregon receiver Malik Benson, now in the NFL after being drafted to the Las Vegas Raiders, told Bri Amaranthus that he sees a three-headed monster in that room, predicting Stewart, Moore and McClellan will each top 800 receiving yards in 2026.
Stewart returns from injury as a veteran and one of the favorites to start. Moore, a former five-star, is coming off a strong freshman season. McClellan finished his redshirt freshman year with a late surge.
Beyond that trio, Oregon also has UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, who could help in the slot, plus early-enrollee freshmen Gaitlin Bair and Messiah Hampton.
Lanning has said, "If you're good enough, you're old enough," and that leaves the door open for Lott to earn his way into the mix.
For now, it’s just one play. But it’s the kind of play Oregon fans have been waiting to see, and they’ll get their first chance to see Lott in a Ducks uniform when the season opens Sept. 5 against Boise State at Autzen Stadium.
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A new off-field issue has put Dan Lanning and Oregon back in an uncomfortable spotlight, this time involving assistant coach Ra'Shaad Samples and a late-night incident in Eugene that has already drawn police attention. According to the available information, the University of Oregon has acknowledged the matter and taken action while investigators continue to sort through what happened after Samples' vehicle backed into a parked truck and the scene was left behind.
What makes the case harder for the Ducks is the trail of video footage and statements that reportedly undercut the early version of events, including questions about what Samples said at the scene and how he identified himself. With court dates still ahead and the legal process unfolding, the program is left managing another reminder that the fallout from a staffers conduct can reach far beyond the police report. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Fans Now Face A Troubling Off-Field Coach Controversy
Oregons offseason has taken a troubling turn off the field, with assistant coach RaShaad Samples now facing charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving after a collision in April that drew more attention once video and witness accounts surfaced. According to the available information, Samples backed his vehicle into a parked truck and left the scene, then initially denied realizing he had hit anything and gave a false name when confronted.
The University of Oregon says it is taking the matter seriously, and the case is still moving through an active legal process with court proceedings ongoing. For Ducks fans, the issue goes beyond a single traffic incident because it lands in the middle of the programs public image, putting the focus on how the school handles accountability while the investigation continues. [Read more 🡒]
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What stood out just as much was the way Raiola talked about the quarterback room itself. He made it clear he supports Dante Moore as the starter and is willing to take on whatever role helps the team most, a tone that matters in a season when Oregon expects high standards from anyone touching the offense. It is the sort of answer Ducks fans tend to appreciate because it hints at buy-in first and personal agenda second, even if the fuller shape of Raiolas place in the offense is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]
