Oregon Ducks Shockingly Left Off Preseason First Team: Cade Klubnik Overrated?

Oregon running back and Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes was named to the Second-Team offense and was listed ahead of Louisville's Isaac Brown in the backfield. On the Second-Team defense, Oregon safety and Purdue Boilermakers transfer Dillon Thieneman is featured in the secondary alongside Texas' Michael Taaffe, Minnesota's Koi Perich and SMU's Isaiah Nwokobia.

Some of the initial names that come to mind when it comes to First-Team snubs include Oregon offensive tackle Isaiah World and even Thieneman, who has been arguably the best safety in the Big Ten the past two seasons outside of Ohio State Buckeyes star Caleb Downs. During his first year with Purdue in 2023, Thieneman had six interceptions, tied for the second-most in Division I.

Per On3's transfer rankings, World, who transferred in from Nevada, and Thieneman were the No. 5 and No. 6-ranked players to enter the portal this offseason, respectively. Hughes came in at No. 12.

The rest of Walter Camp's selections certainly presents some interesting arguments, particularly at quarterback.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik was the First-Team selection with Arizona State's Sam Leavitt getting the nod on the Second Team. One could argue that neither player should be featured, instead opting for quarterbacks like South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, Penn State's Drew Allar or LSU's Garrett Nussmeier to fill up the two spots instead.

Klubnik, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, has a strong chance to end the season as a Heisman Trophy finalist but he's far from a lock to be a Preseason First-Team pick by Walter Camp. This will lead to some hefty offseason debate among fans online, which is the purpose of the selection exercise in the first place.

Oregon suffered some major roster losses this offseason, primarily due to eligibility reasons. On offense, the Ducks saw the departure of quarterback Dillon Gabriel, starting running back Jordan James, wide receivers Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, tight end Terrance Ferguson, offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. and more.

The defense lost linebacker Jeffery Bassa, defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, safety Nikko Reed and more.

In return, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and staff retooled the roster with a slew of notable transfer additions, highlighted by Hughes and Thieneman, both of whom were among the top available players in the portal this offseason. The Ducks also landed the aforementioned World along with Florida State wide receiver Malik Benson, USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander, Louisville tight end Jamari Johnson, USC offensive lineman Emmanuel Pregnon among others.

As a result, Oregon has the No. 5 portal class this offseason with 11 total commits, according to 247Sports' team rankings.

Time will tell how all of these new faces gel, but it's simply foolish to doubt Lanning's ability to make it all work. Oregon will begin the regular season on Aug. 30 at home against Montana State.