Oregon Ducks Mascot Turns Heads in Recent Rankings

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; The Oregon Ducks mascot reacts after the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Oregon Ducks Mascot Turns Heads in Recent Rankings

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI | By Caleb Sisk | Last updated May 4, 2026 7:00 PM ET

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One of the best parts about college football and sports as a whole is the mascots who represent all of the schools across the country. The Ducks are represented by arguably the most iconic mascot, "The Duck," who was recently ranked among the best in the country by On3 analysts Ari Wasserman, Andy Staples, and River Bailey.

The Duck made the cut on all three of Wasserman, Staples, and Bailey's top-five rankings.

Where The Ducks Ranks Among All College Football Mascots

Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

It starts with Staples, who believes the Ducks' mascot was worthy of a top-three ranking, but not the top spot. He was listed as the No. 2 mascot on the list, which can come as shocking, but the mascot he had over the Duck is one of the fan favorites for many as well: the iconic Michigan State Spartan mascot, "Sparty."

This can be viewed as shocking for the Spartans to be over the Ducks on any list, but if there were to be one that could make sense, it would be this one.

The Spartans have one of the more popular mascots to say the least, and he represents exactly what the team name is in a cartoon manner, but also looks dominant. The Duck was followed behind some classic mascots, including Sparky from Arizona State, Big Red from Western Kentucky, and Pistol Pete from Oklahoma State.

Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Wasserman is higher on The Duck than any of the mascots on the list. Wasserman has The Duck as his No. 1 mascot in the country, which comes as no shock due to the fact that the Ducks' mascot is one of the more beloved figures in college sports. It is hard to think of the Oregon program and not think of the mascot that comes with it, which is enough of a reason to consider The Duck as one of the top mascots at a minimum.

The mascots who follow behind The Duck on Wasserman's list include Purdue Pete from Purdue, Paydirt Pete from UTEP, The Tree from Stanford, and Demon Deacon from Wake Forest. All of these mascots, other than The Duck, were not listed on Staples' list.

Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Bailey was next on the list, as he ranked The Duck as the No. 3 mascot, which can be viewed as a bit low, out of his top five. The Ducks follow behind the No. 1 mascot on Bailey's list, which is Big Red. Big Red is a goofy mascot who is just simply a fan favorite, regardless of the program someone is a fan of. He is iconic based on his weird dimensions and is a mascot that catches the attention of many.

The other mascot that Bailey listed ahead of The Duck is Rocky The Rocket from Toledo. The mascots behind The Duck include Cosmo The Cougar from BYU and Otto The Orange from Syracuse.

The Duck was the only mascot that made all three lists with a gold finish, silver finish, and bronze finish.

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

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