Oregon Ducks Dealt Pair of Major Blows With 2025 NFL Draft Declarations

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Jan 6, 2025 2:20 PM ET

As Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks head into the 2025 offseason and turn their focus towards roster building and roster retainment, the team got dealt a relatively tough blow.

Two of the best players on the team, running back Jordan James and defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, announced on Monday afternoon that they will be heading to the 2025 NFL Draft rather than returning for another year in Eugene.

James spent three years at Oregon and had a choice to make this offseason with one year of eligibility remaining. Instead, he will go to the NFL where he is expected to be a mid-round pick in April.

James had a career year in 2024, rushing for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. In his career, James had 2,215 yards and 31 touchdowns for the Ducks, playing a major role in the offense from his very first year as the program.

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A post shared by Jordan James (@jordanjames2_)

Harmon, who transferred to Oregon from Michigan State last offseason, was among the biggest surprises on the roster, having an elite junior year in Eugene where he saw his name sky-rocket up NFL draft boards. There are some projections that have Harmon going in the first round in April.

Harmon had 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 5 sacks in 2024, ending his career with 116 tackles, 18.5 TFL, and 8.5 sacks.

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The move from Harmon was expected, but it was up in the air whether or not James would leave for the NFL or return to Eugene for one more year. With James now out the door, there are predictions coming in that the Ducks are going to land a transfer commitment from former Tulane RB Makhi Hughes, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards in both of his seasons with the Green Wave.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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