RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesSince Dan Lanning showed up in Eugene, he's repeated one mantra time and time again: "If you're good enough, you're old enough."
In 2026, the Oregon Ducks found that they had several guys who were "old enough" to contribute meaningful snaps to the team, with a long list of true freshmen having early impacts in their careers. Now, as those freshmen become sophomores and look to grow and improve, it falls on them and the coaches to expand their roles.
One of the players whose role is expanding this year is running back Dierre Hill. As a freshman, Hill was relatively unknown early on, but by midseason, offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer knew there was no other way around the fact that he had to be getting more touches.
"Dierre kind of came on midway through the season, and you see this burst down the field and it's like, 'Hey, we've got to do something with this guy,'" Mehringer said on Friday.
After putting up 793 total yards and six touchdowns, Hill is now looking to become more of a weapon as a sophomore. That means adding versatility to his game and expanding what it means to be a playmaker, not confined to the backfield. It's not just the talent Hill has that allows him to take on a bigger load, but the mental acuity, Lanning says.
More: Oregon freshman WR Jalen Lott showing a 'ton of potential'
"They have to be able to receive knowledge and absorb it and take it, and it makes sense, right?" Lanning said. "We try to break football down from really complicated things and make them really simple. And if we have guys that can handle that and do it at a high level, then we're going to be able to see them in some different spots. Dierre Hill is an example of a guy that did multiple things for us today beyond just what he's done at running back."
Another player who broke out early in his career and is now working to broaden his football scope is cornerback Brandon Finney. As a 4-star recruit, Finney became arguably the biggest surprise in 2025 for the Ducks , taking over as the CB1 on the team from the first week of the season, and not relinquishing his spot as Oregon's best defensive back.
As a sophomore, though, it's not enough for Finney to simply do what he did last year. He now wants to grow, expand his skill set, and find other ways to help the defense by learning the system as a whole, and not just his job.
"We try as much as possible to teach the concept and not just the play," defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said. "Do not just learn, 'This is what taco means,' or, 'This is what burrito means." Understand what 'Mexican food' means. We want them to understand the entire concept and how each responsibility fits into the play. It might be your responsibility on one play and someone else's on the next."
For Finney, who became a Freshman All-American cornerback last year, there is now more on his plate. He may end up playing at the field corner spot once again this year, but he would be doing so with the expected ability to shift inside to the nickel, or bump over to the boundary, if necessary.
Of course, there are limits to versatility, and while one player may have learned enough to earn a bigger role, others may need time to hone in on the basics first. A great example of this is true freshman safety Jett Washington. As a 5-star prospect, Washington was billed as a versatile player, capable of moving throughout the secondary and ranging from the flats to deep center in coverage.
He seems like a perfect candidate for Oregon's cross-training system, no? According to Hampton, it may still be too early, and that's perfectly acceptable.
"When you have a young player, sometimes you do not want to overload him or have him do too much," Hampton said of Washington. "You want him to become good at something before you begin cross-training him extensively. When a young guy has too much on his plate, he can become confused and lose confidence. A big part of it is getting Jett to play with confidence and feel good about the safety position."
In time, Washington's play will tell the coaches when he's ready to add more to his plate. Over the years, we've seen Lanning and his staff show a high propensity for cross-training, looking for the edge of versatility at every chance they can get. Christian Gonzalez and Dillon Thieneman floated throughout the secondary at times, while Iapani Laloulu and Josh Conerly bumped inside and outside on the offensive lines.
Versatility is as much "Oregon" as innovation is. But it's not without being earned. So far this year, we've seen several young stars take on bigger roles, and they will continue to grow as they prove they deserve it. At this point, that's becoming the Oregon way.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Dierre Hill highlights Oregon's approach to expanding player roles
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