What the Ducks have achieved in the portal cycle and what remains to be accomplished
Oregon football has already made 14 transfer additions this cycle. Here's a recap of the progress and the remaining tasks in the portal this year.
The portal cycle has been intense. The Ducks have lost over 30 players, including walk-ons, and have now added 14 transfers.
The roster is taking shape. These additions have contributed to that. Dan Lanning and his team have addressed many roster gaps already. They've added plug-and-play starters and key depth players. They've made some players older and others younger. There's still work to be done. The Ducks have a few more holes to fill.
This article aims to summarize what has been achieved and what might be needed for the Ducks as they continue to build their 2026 roster.
The Ducks have built one of the most talented QB rooms.
With Dante Moore and Dylan Raiola joining the team, Oregon's quarterback room may be the best in the league. Moore turned down a potential $50 million NFL contract as a top pick, and Raiola was set to start elsewhere. Both players' patience has benefited the program. In the portal and NIL era, it's rare for a school to carry two quarterbacks of this caliber. Both were former 5-star prospects who could potentially exit Oregon as first-round picks. This luxury will last more than one year. If everything goes well, they should have their next two starting quarterbacks covered — Moore in 2026 and Raiola in 2027. This will keep the Ducks out of the portal next offseason. This is a significant victory for Drew Mehringer, who will have elite QB play at his disposal during his first two years as offensive coordinator.
They added plug-and-play starters at wide receiver and defensive back.
Thanks to NFL Draft decisions, Oregon didn't have many starting spots to fill. Most of the ones they did have have already been filled. Three positions that have been addressed are slot receivers, nickel corner, and free safety. Gary Bryant Jr., Jadon Canady, and Dillon Thieneman are gone, and without clear on-roster replacements, the Ducks filled those holes with Iverson Hooks (UAB), Carl Williams IV (Baylor), and Koi Perich (Minnesota). Slot receiver and nickel spots are often overlooked. Specific skill sets are required to fill them, and the Ducks added two players who've thrived in those roles in Hooks and Williams. Perich is arguably the biggest addition to date. He's an immediate starter and was Minnesota's top overall player, potentially becoming an early-round NFL pick next year. He'll help ensure a drop-off isn't experienced at one of the defense's most important positions.
Oregon has added several other players who could fill starting spots, but those are more speculative. While neither Hooks nor Williams are undoubted starters, they represent the best bets given the dearth of experience returning.
Oregon addressed tight end and D-Line depth concerns.
After a slew of portal departures, Mehringer and Tony Tuioti were tasked with filling their respective rooms. Both coaches brought back star players: Jamari Johnson for Mehringer and all four defensive line starters for Tuioti. However, both positions were depleted by roster turnover, providing a need for more bodies. At tight end, Mehringer brought in high-upside redshirt freshman Andrew Olesh from Penn State and a physical blocker in Markus Dixon from Clemson. Neither is a starting caliber player today, but neither will be asked to be. Olesh was a top 50 prospect in the 2025 class, while Dixon hasn't played much but has played defensive line and at tight end. Tuioti's resources were focused on the heart of the line. The Ducks lost their top three reserve IDLs, but they helped shore that up with the additions of D'Antre Robinson from North Carolina and Jerome Simmons of UL Monroe. Robinson is much more proven than Simmons. One should expect him to be the team's third defensive tackle in 2026. Simmons has some upside and was the No. 6 overall JUCO transfer in the 2024 class, but has little production to speak of. He is 330 pounds, and given his recruiting pedigree, has the upside worthy of a dart throw. Tuioti also added Bleu Dantzler from Oregon State as another outside linebacker body.
The specialist rooms took shape.
This part has gone overlooked, but the Ducks did take a player to fill each specialist role. They went to Nevada to snag punter Bailey Ettridge and kicker Keaton Emmett, and to Western Michigan to add long snapper RJ Todd. In talking to special teams coordinator Joe Lorig in the spring, the move from 85 to 105 was going to pinch these spots some. The plan was to carry two or so at each position. In securing a player for each role, they've built the necessary depth for 2026. What remains to be seen is how much these additions contribute. Ettridge is the best bet to replace James Ferguson-Reynolds at punter, and the same is true of Todd, who saw likely his biggest rival in Nick Duzansky transfer upon the announcement of his commitment. Emmett is likely to push Gage Hurych to be the team's place kicker and kickoff specialist, but Hurych looks to have the edge today. Emmett has attempted only one field goal as a collegiate kicker.
What's left?
The roster is in good shape, but there's still more work to do. The Ducks remain players for 5-star offensive tackle transfer Jordon Seaton. He's been the portal's hottest commodity since leaving Colorado earlier this week, and Oregon is in the middle of the Seaton Sweepstakes. He is expected to visit Oregon beginning on Monday. With both starting tackle positions vacated, the Ducks have already secured Michael Bennett, a Yale right tackle transfer. Securing Seaton would give them two veterans to lean on. Seaton is a different tier of add than Bennett, and like Isaiah World, would be seen as one of the top pick-ups in the country. One also wonders what will get done at linebacker. The Ducks bring back everyone but Bryce Boettcher and Kamar Mothudi. Will that be good enough for Brian Michalowski? I'm not so sure. The portal offerings aren't overly encouraging though. Lastly, running back depth is limited, currently at four players for 2026, and the Ducks have made offers to a few running back transfers. Whether it comes through the prep ranks or through transfer, one should expect they'll add at least one more piece to Ra'Shaad Samples' room.
