Oregon landed the biggest haul in ESPN’s preseason top 100 players for 2026, with eight Ducks making the list released Wednesday morning.
That total led the country. Defending national champion Indiana and Texas were next with seven selections apiece. Oregon, though, did not place a player in the top 10.
Quarterback Dante Moore was the highest-ranked Duck at No. 11 overall, making him the fifth-ranked quarterback on ESPN’s list behind Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, Notre Dame’s CJ Carr, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and USC’s Jayden Maiava.
“The fact that Oregon returns not only its starting quarterback but a starting quarterback who could have been the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft is something no other FBS team can boast," the website wrote of Oregon's quarterback. "Moore is coming off a stellar season that, lest we forget, was his first playing in the Ducks' offensive system. Yet Moore looked comfortable -- that is, until he played Indiana, which handed Oregon its only two losses -- and that should only improve as he and Oregon attempt to get over the hump and try to secure the program's first national championship,”
Two more Ducks cracked the top 25. Defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington came in at No. 16, while cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. checked in at No.
- Washington was the highest-ranked interior defensive lineman on the list, and only Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore, ESPN’s No. 2 overall player, ranked ahead of Finney at cornerback.
“Washington is one several experienced players returning to the Oregon defense. The Detroit native is set for his senior season following his best campaign yet in 2025. Last year, Washington was a force on the Ducks' defensive line, starting all 15 games, breaking up passes left and right and pressuring nearly every quarterback Oregon faced," they wrote of Washington.
Finney’s rise was even more striking in ESPN’s eyes.
“Talk about bursting onto the scene. Last season, Finney immediately made his way onto the field as a freshman and did not disappoint.
The Maryland native became not just a fixture of the Ducks' secondary as the year progressed, but he also was arguably Oregon's most statistically impactful defender," they posted of Finney. "Forced fumbles, interceptions, sacks, tackles for loss -- you name it, Finney was doing it all.
If his sophomore campaign is anything like his debut, he could be well on his way to being one of the best defensive backs in the sport.”
Oregon’s only other player in the top 50 was center Iapani Laloulu at No. 48. ESPN highlighted how “Poncho” became the anchor of the Ducks’ offensive line after shifting from right guard to center and starting 27 games there over the past two seasons.
The rest of Oregon’s group landed deeper in the rankings: tight end Jamari Johnson at No. 71, outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti at No. 76, safety Koi Perich at No. 78 and wide receiver Dakorien Moore at No. 82.
Johnson is set to take over as Oregon’s top tight end after Kenyon Sadiq, who was the 16th pick of the New York Jets. After transferring from Louisville, Johnson caught 32 passes for 510 yards and three touchdowns last season, including four catches in each of Oregon’s two playoff games.
Tuioti, meanwhile, has gone from freshman rotation piece to one of the country’s better linebackers, according to ESPN.
“It did not take very long for Tuioti to prove himself as a force to be reckoned with in Eugene. The linebacker has only grown in stature since earning a role in the rotation as a freshman, and now, as he heads into his senior season, Tuioti is not just an anchor of the Oregon defense but one of the best linebackers in the country.”
Perich’s path to Eugene comes after a two-way experiment at Minnesota, and ESPN said he’ll now focus solely on defense. The site compared his move to former Purdue defensive back Dillon Thieneman, saying Perich should fit smoothly into the Ducks’ secondary and could be set for a big season.
Dakorien Moore, the nation’s No. 4 recruit in 2025, rounds out Oregon’s eight. As a true freshman, he averaged 14.6 yards per catch, started seven games and finished with 497 receiving yards, the fourth-highest freshman total in program history. ESPN noted that he had multiple receptions in all but one game and is expected to build on that production while catching passes again from Dante Moore, who is no relation.
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