The Oregon Ducks had one of the best seasons in the football program’s history during the 2024–25 campaign.
Despite a strong roster, there were doubts about how Oregon would perform in its first year in the Big Ten Conference. The team quickly put those doubts to rest by going undefeated in the regular season. A major highlight was a convincing win over powerhouse Ohio State.
Led by Head Coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks went on to win the Big Ten Championship, beating Penn State. That victory earned Oregon the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, along with a first-round bye. However, the extra time off may have hurt them—they lost to Ohio State in a playoff rematch.
Ten Oregon players were selected in the recent NFL Draft, setting a new program record.
Still, questions remain about the future. Greg Smith, a national recruiting analyst at Rivals, raised an important point in a recent article: “Will Oregon rebound?”
Smith explained that Lanning has recently missed out on several high-profile recruits. Five-star quarterback Jared Curtis recommitted to Georgia, and four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt chose Ohio State over Oregon.
But the Ducks scored a big win with the unexpected commitment of five-star defensive lineman Richard Wesley. Wesley, ranked No. 9 nationally and the top defensive end in the country, will join Oregon in 2026. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, he is expected to make an immediate impact in Eugene.
Despite having a top-10 recruiting class, Smith noted that expectations are now so high that even this success feels like it could be better. “We’ve learned not to count out Lanning on the recruiting trail,” Smith wrote, “but for the first time in a while, we are seeing the Ducks’ recruiting machine slow down.”
As members of the Big Ten, the Ducks now regularly compete against traditional powerhouses like Ohio State and Michigan—not just for top-tier talent, but also for lesser-known recruits. With the Big Ten expanding to the West Coast, the competition is only getting tougher.
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