Loaded with NFL talent and a returning star quarterback, the Oregon Ducks face a championship-or-bust season as new coordinators look to maximize the nation's most formidable roster.
The Oregon Ducks lost seven players to the 2026 NFL Draft this spring, including first-round picks Kenyon Sadiq and Dillon Thieneman.
The Ducks quickly reloaded its roster for the upcoming season. With quarterback Dante Moore returning this fall, Oregon has the best opportunity to win the College Football Playoff national championship since Dan Lanning has been the head coach.
However, all eyes are on new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer and new defensive coordinator Chris Hampton. They'll play a major role in how far Oregon goes in the CFP. And the Ducks were badly outplayed in CFP losses to Ohio State and Indiana during the last two postseasons.
An anonymous Big Ten coach told Athlon that Mehringer and Hampton have huge responsibilities this year. Oregon doesn't run a complicated scheme, but they need their playmakers dialed up and put in the right position.
“With them, the key is going to be how their coordinators put their guys in position to make plays because at no point did I think what they did on defense was super complicated, but it was just so sound and everyone was doing their job at a high level," the coach said.
"When you watch them on tape, they look like a team with a lot of 5-stars.”
The coach thinks Oregon might have the most talent in the sport.
“That might be the best roster in college football, with the returners they have on the D-line and the back end, with the addition of Koi Perich from Minnesota — and then offensively, they basically return everyone but Malik Benson, Kenyon Sadiq and a couple running backs, but they played three running backs all year," the coach said.
"They lose a couple O-linemen, but I think they feel fine about it. (Dante Moore) was the best quarterback we faced last year.”
Ohio State and Indiana will challenge Oregon for the Big Ten Championship. From a roster standpoint, the Ducks should be better than both.
Texas arguably has the best roster in the country. The Longhorns and Ducks could wind up playing for the CFP national championship in a game that could send Arch Manning or Moore up the draft boards to No. 1 in the 2027 draft.
