Oregon’s offense is heading into 2026 with a simple priority, and it starts at quarterback. Drew Mehringer may be the new offensive coordinator, but the real test in the Ducks’ USC matchup is how well he and Dante Moore line up early and how much Moore can drive the whole operation.
Mehringer made that point clear this spring when he talked about the quarterback’s role in shaping everything around him. “I think the guy with the ball, you have to see the game through his lens,” Mehringer said this spring.
“I think for us, what are we trying to do? We're trying to put our players in the best positions possible, but make sure that they see the game the same way that we do.
And really, do we see the game the same way that they do? If there needs to be growth, it can happen on both sides.”
That approach puts the focus less on Mehringer as a play-caller and more on whether he can get the most out of the quarterback in front of him. Dante Moore may bring a different skill set than Bo Nix did, while Dillon Gabriel may have thrived in ways that wouldn’t fit Oregon’s 2026 personnel. The challenge every season is finding the right fit for the roster and building around it, with quarterback comfort at the center of that process.
Oregon has a head start there. Moore is back for his second season as the starter and his third year in the “Oregon Offense” overall. Earlier this spring, Lanning said Moore “is there” with Nix and Gabriel in terms of command, including making checks at the line, audibling in and out of sets, and running the offense with the kind of control that can make everything else click.
So while Mehringer versus Gary Patterson will draw attention in the USC game, the bigger question is whether Patterson can find a way to make Moore uncomfortable. For Oregon, that makes Moore’s play the clearest way Mehringer can impact the 2026 offense.
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