Dan Lanning, Oregon Ducks Offseason Report Card

All things considered, the Ducks earn a B+.

The reigning Big Ten champs have done a lot in the offseason with recruiting veteran players in the transfer portal.

Oregon Ducks Transfer Portal Additions

Makhi Hughes (Tulane)

Regarded as a top running back in the transfer portal, Hughes is expected make an immediate impact as a redshirt junior. In his last season at Tulane he rushed for 1,372 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Isaiah World (Nevada)

Another top recruit by position, World was seen as the number one offensive tackle in the portal before being picked up by the Ducks. The redshirt senior has a 6-8 frame, and is regarded as a first round talent in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Dillon Thieneman (Purdue)

Thieneman led the Big Ten last season in total tackles (104) as a sophomore. And as a freshman earned FWAA Defensive Freshman of the Year, and won Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.

Bear Alexander (USC)

Alexander won the national title with the 2022 Georgia Bulldogs squad, but he then spent his sophomore year at USC. In 2023 with the Trojans, Alexander registered 47 tackles and 1.5 sacks. In 2024, he used a redshirt in order to preserve his eligibility before transferring to Oregon.

Alex Harkey (Texas state)

Harkey originally played tight end and on the defensive line in high school before transitioning to the offensive line at Tyler Junior College. He redshirted at Colorado as a freshman before playing at Texas state he spent his sophomore and junior year. He finished the season a Third Team All-Sunbelt selection before deciding to spend his senior year as a Duck.

Lanning Hires Ross Douglas

After former Oregon wide receiver coach Junior Adams left in for the Dallas Cowboys, coach Dan Lanning wasted zero time finding a replacement. He hired Ross Douglass who spent a season the receiver coach at Syracuse, and before that he was with the New England Patriots.

This addition fuels the Oregon Ducks staff in preparing players to play at the next level, and creating connection with highly touted recruits.

Four-star recruit Jeremiah McClellan was originally recruited by Adams, and was in his wide receiver room his freshman year. But he's comfortable with the coaching change.

“I hadn't really had any contact or anything like that with Coach Douglas, but getting to know him these last seven to eight months, I really love him as a coach," McClellan said.

Lanning on Oregon's Improvement?

Lanning addressed the media one last time on Aug. 20, before week one preparations began for the team, and was seeming content with the overall growth the team has made both individually and overall.

"We have talented players that maybe don't have as much experience, but in this last month of practice, they've gotten a lot of experience...And then we've seen leadership show up. So that gives me a level of confidence going into the season with, you know, the group that we have.”

The core of the team may be young a full of talent, but there's position player that has shown his ability at a previous school, and is expected to produce a lot for the Ducks but needed time to adjust.

For Oregon that's transfer Makhi Hughes, who Lanning say's has transformed into a completely different player and person since his arrival to Oregon.

"He's learned the playbook throughout. Where he's at from the spring to where he's at now is a completely different person. So, he's quiet. He just wants to go back there and do his job. But [I'm] definitely been pleased with his progress.

Game Day Test

The Ducks may have made changes from personel both from a player and coach perspective, but fall camp doesn't truly show where the team is at from a performance level. But from a talent and growth the amount of growth achieved in the offseason, a B+ is reasonable grade for a program with a lot of pressure expectations but a lack of experience on the field.

Oregon's true colors will be shown on Aug. 30 against the Montana State Bobcats. That's when fans and analysts will find out how productive the Ducks offseason truly was.