Oregon’s clearest path back into the College Football Playoff may not come through fireworks on offense. It starts up front, where the Ducks may have the deepest defensive line in the country and, according to CBS Sports, the best one in college football.
That’s the backbone of why Oregon landed at No. 3 in CBS Sports’ ranking of the nation’s best front sevens entering the 2026 season. Oklahoma and Miami (FL) sit ahead of the Ducks overall, mainly because those teams bring more established linebacker groups. But on the defensive line alone, Oregon gets the top billing.
And there’s real substance behind that label. The Ducks return Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington, a pair that gave opponents fits against the run last season. Together, they helped hold offenses to fewer than 3.5 yards per carry and just 13 rushing touchdowns.
The preseason buzz around both players only sharpens the picture. Washington is a Walter Camp Preseason Second-Team All-American and is projected as a First-Team All-Big Ten selection. Alexander comes into 2026 after earning All-Big Ten Second Team honors last season.
What makes Oregon especially dangerous is that the front doesn’t stop with its headliners. D'Antre Robinson joins the mix after time at North Carolina and Florida, while former five-star recruit Aydin Breland, transfer Jerome Simmons, and freshmen Tony Cumberland and Matt Johnson deepen the rotation even further.
The pass rush brings just as much punch. Oregon returns Teitum Tuioti and Matayo Uiagalelei, giving the Ducks one of the most dangerous edge duos in the sport.
The two combined for 35 career sacks, and Oregon was the only team in the country with two edge rushers ranked inside Pro Football Focus’ top six returning edge defenders nationally, with Tuioti at No. 5 and Uiagalelei at No. 6.
Tuioti’s rise last season was one of the big stories along the Oregon front. The rising senior piled up 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, good for fifth in the Big Ten in sacks and fourth in tackles for loss. He also ended the year with a sack or tackle for loss in nine straight games.
Uiagalelei added his own disruption in a big way. He finished last season with 34 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.0 sacks, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles.
There’s more coming behind them. Nasir Wyatt, a former four-star recruit, is back for 2026 after appearing in all 15 games as a true freshman.
The linebackers may not have the same level of proven experience as the defensive line, but Oregon got valuable work from that group during its postseason run. Jerry Mixon emerged as one of the more dependable options, and his biggest moments came when the stakes were highest.
He had a career-best 13 tackles and a fumble recovery in the road win at Iowa, then followed that with another strong outing in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against Texas Tech. In Oregon’s 23-0 shutout, Mixon logged four solo tackles, a tackle for loss and two pass breakups.
Devon Jackson is also expected to take on a bigger role after working back from injuries that limited him before last season. And redshirt freshman Gavin Nix should be more involved after preserving his redshirt in 2025. The former four-star recruit played in seven games, including all three College Football Playoff games.
All of that matters even more with Chris Hampton stepping into a bigger job as Oregon’s newly promoted defensive coordinator. He’s taking on the play-calling role with a front seven that already has proven producers, established leaders and plenty of depth. That kind of support should make the transition a lot smoother.
If Oregon is going to get back to the College Football Playoff and make another run at a national championship, the Ducks have a strong case that it will begin in the trenches.
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