Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Dan Lanning reveals why Oregon targeted $1.1 million RB in transfer portal

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By Zachary McKinnell | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 12:45 PM ET

It was an extremely successful first season in the Big Ten for the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks finished the regular season 12-0 before defeating Penn State in the Big Ten championship, earning the No. 1 seed in the inagural 12-team College Football Playoff.

Despite earning the top overall seed, Oregon's season came to an abrupt end against Ohio State in the quarterfinals, losing 41-21 to the Buckeyes. Oregon head coach Dan Lanning was active in the transfer portal, signing the No. 4 portal class nationally, according to On3.

During an appearance on 'Always College Football,' Lanning highlighted why Tulane running back Makhi Hughes was a priority target for the Ducks this offseason.

Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

"Ultimately, the goal for us is, again, to make sure we have enough guys that can play a winning level of football," Lanning said. "And there's a kind of number that we really want in that running back room, and felt like we had an opportunity to get a good player in Makhi.

"The one piece about Makhi is he's the one that's always falling forward. When there's yards to be had, he's going to make sure he's falling forward."

Hughes was a two-time first-team All-AAC selection at Tulane, leading the Green Wave in rushing yards in back-to-back seasons. He ranked top 10 nationally in rushing yards in both seasons, while leading the conference with 1,378 rushing yards in 2023.

Over the past two seasons, Hughes recorded 2,779 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on 523 carries. He added 243 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He is the top returning rusher in college football after ranking No. 9 nationally last year with 1,401 yards.

Hughes is expected to replace Jordan James, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He will be a key weapon for new starting quarterback Dante Moore, who transferred to Oregon from UCLA last season.

Hughes' brother, five-star defensive back Na'eem Offord, signed with the Ducks in December. He flipped his commitment to Oregon from Ohio State and is the second-highest-rated commit in Oregon's 2025 recruiting class.

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back has a projected NIL value of $1.1 million, according to On3. He is the second-most valuable player on Oregon's roster, trailing only wide receiver Evan Stewart who has an NIL value of $1.7 million.

Oregon will open the 2025 season against Montana State on Aug. 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.

This article first appeared on NIL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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