From players dressing in 20-by-20 cubicles and hanging their clothes on nails to now reclining in Ferrari leather chairs, marble showers, and self-cleaning lockers, Oregon has truly come a long way. Former Oregon head coach Rich Brooks aptly described the state that Oregon’s facilities were in 1977 and remained pretty much so even after his departure in 1994. “Our facilities were dismal, and there wasn’t an urgency nor a wherewithal to do anything about it.” But now? Dan Lanning and other coaches fly in private jets for recruiting instead of hopping in rental cars and commercial planes as Brooks did back in his time. Undoubtedly, a lot has changed in Oregon as it became a power school from an unknown bottom rung school in the Pacific Northwest. However, despite all of these developments, one thing is still missing in Oregon.

The search still remains for that elusive national championship trophy that Ryan Day won last year, and Oregon hasn’t won it in its one and a half century-old history. The 2024 season had all signs of that natty run as Dan Lanning finished undefeated in the regular season and made it to the playoffs, earning a bye. However, despite that dream run, Ohio State had different plans in store for Oregon. Dan Lanning couldn’t withstand the offensive onslaught presented by Ryan Day and finally lost 21-41 in the Rose Bowl. But 2025 now seems to be the year when that natty dream finally gets fulfilled, right?

ESPN’s Bill Connelly recently appeared in a recent episode of ‘1080 The FAN’ and was asked if Oregon was the top five teams to win the title. Connelly, while praising Oregon’s achievements, still placed them at 7th and gave his reasoning. “Oregon’s projected seventh. They’re like two points out of the top four… When I was walking through their lineup and piecing it all together, there just weren’t nearly as many like proven entities as I expected to see. Like in my head, as we’re going to enter the offseason.” The take might seem harsh since Oregon has just produced a 4th-ranked class in the 2025 cycle.

Moreover, the roster certainly doesn’t lack depth. For instance, Makhi Hughes comes from Tulane after he produced 1,401 rushing yards last season and will be a leader in the RB room. Then there is the addition of Alex Harkey at right tackle from Texas State, who played 972 snaps with the team over 12 games last season. Moreover, the addition of red-shirt senior Isaiah World at left tackle is also huge, he joins from Nevada after playing 852 snaps over 13 games last year is huge. The receiver room with Evan Stewart and Justius Lowe, along with the addition of Malik Benson, also looks ready. On paper, the Ducks have the pieces, so where’s the problem?

“I mean, we don’t really know what the quarterback position is going to bring,” Connelly pointed out in the QB room, which has questions of inexperience lingering over it. Then the ESPN analyst showed other positions that might pose problems. “We don’t really know how much help Evan Stewart has in the receiving core. And the defense, I agree. I’m just going to assume the defense is fine, but I mean, last year, four of last year’s top five defensive tackles are gone. Safety’s brand new, and the secondary is brand new.” So it boils down to the lack of experience.

Oregon lost 10 players to the NFL draft, including 4 key players who transferred out and 11 key players who lost eligibility. These departures include some foundational players who were there for almost 4 or 5 years in the system. For instance, Derrick Harmon, who came from MSU, was a first-round pick by the Steelers after his 45 tackles and 5 sack performance in 2024. Then there was Josh Conerly Jr in the O line who was All-Big Ten last year, went to the Commanders in the first round. Terrance Ferguson, who is probably one of Oregon’s greatest tight ends, went to the LA Rams. And of course, quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is now at the Cleveland Browns, leaves a glaring void, resulting in an inexperienced QB room. So, how will Oregon cope?

Dante Moore as QB1 means disaster in the 2025 season for Dan Lanning?

Oregon has the huge backing of the billionaire and Nike founder Phil Knight, and Dan Lanning has all the resources in question to build his team with top players. The defense does have players with the addition of Bear Alexander and Dillon Thieneman at safety. So, this leaves the QB spot being the biggest question mark. Dante Moore last season learned behind a prolific Dillon Gabriel and saw action quite sparingly. However, in his time at UCLA, he has shown moments of brilliance and produced 1,610 yards in the 2023 season. So, he has his share of believers, too.

“They’re pretty hyped on the quarterback [Dante Moore], whom they’ve had in the system for a season already, which is a huge advantage. This isn’t modifying your book for a guy you get out of the portal; it’s a talented, developed player who already knows your system. I think that will show early on this season,” said RJ Young, the Fox Sports analyst.

Behind Moore, we have Austin Novosad, who is a red-shirt sophomore coming out as a 10th-ranked 4-star QB in the 2023 class. While we haven’t seen much from Austin at the collegiate level. His high school stats in 2021, when he threw for 3,399 yards and 40 TDs, and earned an Overall MVP, still stand as a beacon of his upside. And his immense talent surely proves he can function as a reliable backup behind Dante Moore.