Why this Oregon Ducks Roster Is Ready For the Hype

By SPENCER McLAUGHLIN

Contributor, 750 The Game

Oregon is the preseason No. 3 team in the country in the 2024 AP Poll. It’s their highest preseason ranking since the last time they made the National Championship in 2014, and the fourth time they’ve been ranked that high going into a season since 2010. Each of the previous three times, Oregon has walked away with at least 11 wins. Two of those resulted in conference championships. This year, they have the team to live up to those same expectations, if not more.

If you tuned out of college football after Michigan beat Washington in the National Championship, Oregon is chasing a Big 10 Championship now. They’re the second favorite to win the league behind Ohio State, who haven’t won the conference since 2020 thanks to Michigan finally realizing their program’s full potential. I don’t expect much from UCLA and Washington (the Huskies are better), but I am fascinated to see how close to conference title contention USC can get with a revamped defensive staff. But let’s focus on why Oregon is in this position of grand expectations.

The Ducks had a great offseason, bringing in the highest-rated high school recruiting class in Oregon history. A couple true freshmen could make an impact, but the transfer portal class is loaded with ready-to-contribute talent to replace losses from last year’s team that included 8 players drafted in the NFL Draft — an Oregon record. 

QB Dillon Gabriel is not Bo Nix. But he’s darn good, and should be the best QB in the Big 10 and the best QB on the field for every Oregon game this year. He completed just under 70% of his passes last year with Oklahoma, throwing for 30 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions (he also ran for 12 touchdowns). He’s the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, ahead of such names as Georgia QB Carson Beck and Texas QB Quinn Ewers. I think winning that award will be incredibly challenging with so much talent at the QB position spread out across the country. Look for names like Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart or Alabama QB Jalen Milroe to make strong pushes for college football’s most prestigious award. 

What matters most to Oregon fans, however, is that elusive first national championship. This roster is ready to compete for it, and Dillon Gabriel is more than capable of getting them to that level.

Gabriel isn’t the only new face in the transfer portal that Duck fans will quickly familiarize themselves with this season. Dan Lanning brought in defensive tackles Jamaree Caldwell from Houston and Derrick “DJ” Harmon from Michigan State. I expect both to start and play key roles for an interior D-line unit that lost its four best players from last season, including Brandon Dorlus.

Troy Franklin is in Denver with Bo Nix, so the Ducks insert former 5-star WR Evan Stewart from Texas A&M. He hasn’t reached his full potential yet in college, but could very well put up his first 1,000-yard season. Add him to a trio of returners in Tez Johnson (preseason All-Big 10), Traeshon Holden, and Gary Bryant Jr., and you put together a receiving core every bit as talented as last season. 

The offensive line should be one of the 10 best in the country, headlined by returning offensive tackles Ajani Cornelius and Josh Conerly. I’ll be watching the interior OL closely after an injury to Indiana transfer Matthew Bedford, who will start at right guard whenever he returns. Hopefully he’s good to go by the time Ohio State comes to Eugene on October 12th for one of the biggest games in the country this year.

Oregon has also loaded up the secondary, bringing in impact players like Washington transfer Jabbar Muhammad. He will be Oregon’s top corner and the secondary should have plenty of depth, particularly at cornerback. Keep an eye on Duke transfer Brandon Johnson and Kansas State transfer Kobe Savage.

Oregon has a veteran quarterback, impact transfers, and veteran returners on both sides of the ball ranging from TE Terrance Ferguson to LB Jeffrey Bassa. All the tools are there. The schedule is plenty manageable.

Dan Lanning has his best roster yet going into year three. Kirk Herbstreit and Desmond Howard BOTH picked the Ducks to win the National Championship. I can’t guarantee they’ll even make the title game, only that they’ve done everything they can this offseason to make a real swing at it. I think they will win 11 or 12 regular season games.

Happy Football, everyone.

Spencer McLaughlin is an Oregon Ducks football contributor to 750 The Game. He also hosts the “Locked On Oregon Ducks” and “Locked On College Football” podcasts and has work featured throughout the season here.