RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesThe Oregon Ducks' 2026 season got off to an unofficial start on Wednesday afternoon in Chicago, with head coach Dan Lanning kicking things off at Big Ten Media Days.
Talking in front of a full room, Lanning addressed the offseason of work in Eugene and talked about how much improvement his team has been able to make after the end of the 2025 season. With a bunch of returners coming back for one more year, headlined by guys like Dante Moore, Evan Stewart, A'mauri Washington, and Teitum Tuioti, among others, the Ducks are as talented as ever and bring a lot of experience into the new season.
For Oregon, this only creates high expectations for the upcoming year. Lanning talked about what it's like to deal with those expectations, and what his team has learned over his five years in Eugene. Here is a look at everything he said on Wednesday at Big Ten Media Days:
Intro and Thank Yous
"It's year five for us here at Oregon and year three in the Big 10. So being a part of this conference has been unbelievable. I told our players the other day, sat down with a few of them. I said I want you to think back to 365 days ago: what's different about you today and where you're at today. You know right now in this moment what's different than 365 days ago, and I think you see a lot of differences in our team, a lot of differences that we get to be a part of. But first, I want to thank you guys for the job you do covering our conference, covering our team. It's certainly an honor to get to be at a place like Oregon. A lot of that starts with, you know, our administration; it starts with President Schulz, it starts with Rob Mullins, and our relationship. We're together, and it's been a lot of fun working with Tony Petitti and seeing the work that he does for our conference. He's a guy that really shows a voice for our conference, and I think that's obviously shown over time here with how the Big 10 has competed over time. Very excited about this season. I really like the work that our guys have put in."
2026 Differences
"Obviously, we have some great returning players that have been big contributors to our program. One thing I recognize is that last year I felt like we had a team with a ton of talent. This year, I feel like we have a team that has a lot of experience returning. A lot of those young players that played are now guys that have also had great experience, and I'm excited to see what that looks like."
Dante Moore
"I'll start talking about our quarterback Donte Moore, obviously a guy that I feel like has been around for almost as long as I've been around Oregon. Took a little pit stop somewhere else and then came back and joined us. But obviously had an unbelievable year last year, and is really obviously a special a special quarterback, but what makes Dante so special is who he is as a person, seeing the community outreach that he does, the leader that he is for his teammates, the work that he's done, and obviously a guy that can make a mature decision about what's best for his future and where he's headed and what he wants it to look like and how he has some some business that he wants to complete, so really excited that he gets to be, you know, really somebody that's that's showcasing Oregon this week and and here at Big 10 meetings."
Jamari Johnson
"Also got the opportunity to bring Jamari Johnson. Jamari, you know, last year I sat up here and I talked about a tight end at Oregon and how special he was in Kenyon Sadiq. Jamari's also that special. He was a guy that we recruited out of high school. Actually, used to play quarterback, and he just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. He can run, he can block, he can catch. If you've seen Jamari today, that means you've also seen his smile. He's a guy that makes you feel really special every time he steps in the room, and I'm certainly excited to see what he's able to accomplish this year in our offense."
Teitum Tuioti
"And then thirdly, I got the opportunity to bring Tatum Tuioti. This is a guy that's been along our journey the entire time, you know, son of our defensive line coach Tony Tuioti. It's a guy that came in at 215 pounds, and now he's 265 pounds. Has been one of the best players in our league. Certainly a dynamic piece of our front. I remember looking out the window, you know, when when Tatum first joined us, and he's out there on the sled, striking the sled, and I think that speaks volumes about his work ethic, the time that he's put in, and what he's created. So, Coach Love has done an unbelievable job with our players this off-season."
Off-Season Work
"You know, I've said it already here that we're returning a lot of experience, but what's really been impressive was the work that our guys have done. I think this will be the most player-led team that we've had so far in my time here at Oregon. You know, with that experience comes new leadership roles, and a lot of guys have really rolled into those roles."
New Coordinators
"We also have a couple new leaders on both sides of the ball. You know, in our four years here, we've had three guys go on to become Power Four head coaches, and we're certainly excited for Coach Stein and Coach Lapois and their new opportunities. But that creates a new opportunity for guys in our building, and Chris Hampton and Drew Maringer. You know, both these guys are all-stars in the profession. They both do an unbelievable job developing players. They understand scheme, and they've created you know some some great memories in their position rooms, and they've done an unbelievable job hitting the ground running this off season, having guys in your program that understand your culture, what you want to create, those guys have been you know home runs so far, and I&#...
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