The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2026 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 131 BY CLAYTON SAYFIE Winning 13 games, including two in the College Football Playoff, means Or- egon cleared a lot of hurdles in 2025, but there was one it couldn't — beating Indi- ana. Both of the Ducks' losses came to the Hoosiers, 30-20 in Eugene and 56-22 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl. Indiana was that domi- nant last season, finishing 16-0 as national champion, and Oregon just happened to be standing in its way like it was for Ohio State in 2024. But this season, Oregon has the goods to make another run and per- haps win a title. Oregon is entering Year 5 under head coach Dan Lanning, who's won at a high level right out of the gate. He's finished top six in the AP poll each of the last three seasons and has only eight losses to his name, after coming over from his post as Georgia's defensive coordinator. This offseason brought challenges to Lanning, who had to replace both of his coordinators, each of whom earned head- coaching opportunities elsewhere — OC Will Stein at Kentucky and DC Tosh Lupoi at California. The 40-year-old decided to promote from within, tapping Drew Meh- ringer on offense and Chris Hampton on defense. Both new coordinators are in great posi- tions to succeed because of what's on the roster. Oregon has the 11th-most returning production in college football, per ESPN, with redshirt junior quarterback Dante Moore being the most notable piece. The Detroit native could've been a first-round pick in the NFL this spring but decided to be a starter for a third year (2023 at UCLA, 2025 at Oregon), after earning third-team All-Big Ten honors last season. He com- pleted 71.8 percent of his passes for 3,565 yards and 30 touchdowns with 10 inter- ceptions. One of the seven Ducks drafted into the NFL was tight end Kenyon Sadiq in the first round (No. 16, New York Jets), but that position figures to be a strength again. ESPN analyst Matt Miller placed redshirt junior Jamari Johnson as the No. 1 tight end in the 2027 NFL Draft, and he was very productive a year ago with 32 catches for 510 yards and 3 scores. Two starting wide receivers (redshirt sophomore Jeremiah McClellan and soph- omore Dakorien Moore) are back, as are two of the team's top three rushers. The running back duo of sophomores Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. will be one of the nation's best. Davis rushed for 667 yards and a team-high 15 touchdowns, while Hill ranked second nationally with 8.8 yards per carry, totaling 656 yards and 5 scores. The offensive line returns two start- ers, including senior Iapani Laloulu, a first-team All-American last year (Foot- ball Writers Association of America). The Ducks turned to the transfer portal to re- load up front, and that gamble is one of the few question marks on the team. The defense is veteran-laden, especially at the line of scrimmage. All four defen- sive line starters spurned the NFL Draft and returned to school, making up one of the nastiest trench crews in the country. Senior edge rusher Teitum Tuoiti led the team with 16 TFL and 9.5 sacks, and he is known for his effort and tenacity, while se- nior defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington joined him on the All-Big Ten third team. The other Oregon first-round selection was safety Dillon Thieneman, who started his career at Purdue, but Lanning and Co. found the perfect replacement, Minnesota transfer Koi Perich, a superb athlete who's seen time on offense, defense and special teams, was a freshman All-American in 2024 and has picked off 6 career passes. Perich is joined in the secondary by sophomore cornerback Brandon Finney Jr., who was lockdown as a freshman and earned second-team All-Big Ten recogni- tion in 2025. ❑ Oregon Is Primed To Get Over The CFP Hump Sophomore running back Dierre Hill Jr. led the team with 12 rushes of 15-plus yards last season. PHOTO COURTESY OREGON ATHLETICS 2026 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2025 Result Sept. 5 BOISE STATE — Sept. 12 at Oklahoma State W, 69-3 Sept. 18 PORTLAND STATE — Sept. 26 at USC W, 42-27 Oct. 10 UCLA — Oct. 17 NEBRASKA — Oct. 24 at Illinois — Oct. 31 NORTHWESTERN W, 34-14 Nov. 7 at Ohio State — Nov. 14 MICHIGAN — Nov. 20 at Michigan State — Nov. 28 WASHINGTON W, 26-14 REASONS FOR OPTIMISM • Third-year starter at QB • Offensive weapons • Experienced defense Lanning has been one of the masters at plugging roster holes through the portal, but the headline this season is all that he returns. REASONS FOR CONCERN • Offensive line coming together • Can QB Dante Moore take the next step • Stacking up in the CFP Oregon was blown out in each of its last two CFP losses, and now it's time for the Ducks to flip their fortunes. GAME 10 • OREGON DUCKS • NOV. 14 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Tied 3-3 First Meeting: U-M 14, Oregon 0 (Oct. 2, 1948 in Ann Arbor) Last Meeting: Oregon 38, U-M 17 (Nov. 2, 2024, in Ann Arbor) Head Coach: Dan Lanning, 48-8 at Oregon (fifth year) and overall 2025 In Review: 13-2 overall, 8-1 Big Ten Final 2025 Ranking: No. 4 AP, No. 4 coaches Returning Starters: 13 (5 offense, 8 de- fense, 0 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2025 (Orange Bowl vs. Texas Tech, W 23-0; Peach Bowl vs. Indiana, L 56-22) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Dante Moore (3,565 yards, 30 TD) Rushing: Jordan Davison (667 yards, 15 TD) Receiving: Jeremiah McClellan (557 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: Aaron Flowers (70) Sacks: Tritium Tuioti (9.5) Interceptions: Brandon Finney Jr. (3)