Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Pushes Key Players on Leadership Retreat

"Dillon, I'm really glad you're on our team. You do it the right way. Like this is a team that will follow you, if you pull them. But you're going to have to pull them," Lanning told Thieneman. "And if you do that, it'll be really special."

Thieneman joined the Ducks via the transfer portal in the offseason, and the safety has already impressed with his work ethic since arriving on campus. However, Lanning is seemingly challenging Thieneman to take an even bigger role in leading Oregon's defense.

Similarly, Lanning complimented Tuioti before demanding even more out of the outside linebacker. Tuioti has flashed in his two seasons with the Ducks, recording 5.5 sacks and finishing fourth on the team with 58 total tackles in 2024.

"Teitum. Probably one of the easiest guys I've coached in my career. Probably one of the better teammates I've been around. Know that you're accountable to your team, you do what you're supposed to do. I do think there's a challenge for you to have a bigger voice, and you need to be who you are," Lanning told said.

In pushing Tuioti to have an even larger presence on Oregon's defense, Lanning alluded to former Ducks running back turned Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Bucky Irving.

"And it's kind of like what we talked about with Bucky. Didn't always say a lot, he was tough, but what he did do was he talked a lot to people by himself. Like he would pull people aside a lot by himself. I want to see more of that from you," Lanning told Tuioti. "And then in some moment, you're going to have a voice, and you're going to say something, and the whole world will listen."

In addition to Tuioti and Thieneman, Lanning also called upon some younger players like redshirt freshman defensive back Aaron Flowers:

"Aaron, I want to remind you of why we love you so much as a player. You play with a level of intensity. Have a confidence in yourself, and that happens with how well you know what you're doing. And it starts with how well you communicate with the people beside you. If you become an elite communicator, you'll be an elite player for us," Lanning told Flowers.

Lanning's motivational tactics have gone viral in the past as he'll pull from pop-culture or psychology in order to prepare his team for an opponent. He's shown that he isn't afraid to demand the most out of the Ducks, and he wants his players to follow his lead.

At the end of the meeting, Lanning opened the floor for anyone on the retreat to address his teammates, and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore echoed Lanning's thoughts, telling his fellow Ducks to focus on getting one percent better each day and staying connected with each other.