After a brutal 4-3 start to the 2026 college football regular season, the Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning are making major changes to the coaching staff.

One of the main issues for Oregon this year has been the offense. Through the first seven games, the Ducks’ offense ranks sixth in both average points scored per game (33.1) and average offensive yards per game (423.1) in the Big Ten Conference. The loss of star quarterback Dante Moore is one of the many driving factors of the poor offensive production, but the team ultimately decided to part ways with offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer following the recent 21-10 loss against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Now, with Mehringer out of the picture, Lanning will turn the offensive play-calling duties over to assistant quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson for the rest of the season in hopes of sparking some late-season magic.

Johnson, a highly accomplished, 57-year-old offensive mind, possesses a load of experience. While he may not have any head coaching experience, he has an extensive track record at the collegiate level dating back to the early 2000s.

In 2005, Johnson received his first opportunity as an offensive coordinator with Southern Miss, where he spent three seasons as the Golden Eagles' play caller and quarterbacks coach. From there, the longtime college coach bounced around multiple programs, including the Louisville Cardinals, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the Colorado Buffaloes. But Johnson’s most notable stop was during his three-year stint with the Michigan State Spartans back in 2020.

The Spartans’ first season under Johnson was chaotic due to it being the infamous COVID season. However, the college football world saw his impact in full display during the 2021 season, when he helped lead Michigan State to an 11-2 record. His dominance as the program’s play caller was amplified through the likes of star running back Kenneth Walker III, as Johnson, Walker, and the rest of the offense averaged 31.8 points per game.

Luckily for Johnson, Oregon’s dynamic running back duo of sophomores Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. should aid his transition into the offensive coordinator position. Johnson’s rich track record of producing a stout run game will benefit the Ducks’ offense, which ranks 10th in the Big 10 Conference in average rushing yards per game (145.4).

If Johnson can re-establish Oregon’s rushing attack, the rest of the offense should fall into place. Last season under former offensive coordinator Will Stein, Davison and Hill were one of the best running back duos in college football, and Johnson could easily revamp the duo to close out the regular season.