RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Kool-Aid has been easy for the Oregon Ducks to sip on this offseason, with praise coming in bunches for the uber-talented roster that appears set to compete for a championship in 2026. There's a likelihood that ten or more players are drafted into the NFL come the 2027 draft, with a number of underclassmen waiting their turn as well. Preseason positional accolades were aplenty as well.
But there's some motivation that can be drawn from ESPN's recently released 2026 preseason All-American teams , as just one Duck in defensive tackle A'Mauri Washington made the first team.
"Washington brings elite power and explosiveness to the middle of the Ducks ' defense and put together a breakout year in his first season as a starter in 2025, recording 33 tackles, 15 pressures and 4.5 TFLs while leading all Big Ten defensive linemen with eight pass breakups," Eli Lederman and Max Olson wrote. "Washington opted to stay in school and keep building his draft résumé while playing on a star-studded D-line alongside returning starters Teitum Tuioti, Matayo Uiagalelei and Bear Alexander."
While Washington was the only Oregon player to receive a first-team honor, center Iapani Laloulu and cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. were named to the second team, falling behind Georgia 's Drew Bobo and Notre Dame 's Leonard Moore, respectively.
Both players are in different parts of their careers, as Laloulu is entering his third season as the Ducks' starting center and came close to winning the Rimington Trophy in 2025, awarded to the nation's top center. Finney emerged as a star in the Ducks' secondary as a true freshman, far surpassing his four-star status and becoming an All-Big Ten second team selection.
But while both are considered near the top in the country at their positions, they fall just short of being named the best by ESPN.
A number of notable Ducks were left off the list altogether, with quarterback Dante Moore arguably being the most questionable snub. Instead of Moore, fellow Big Ten passer Julian Sayin from Ohio State got the first-team nod while Notre Dame's CJ Carr holds the second team slot. While both are considered to be among the leaders in Heisman Trophy odds and should have strong seasons, it's a real slight on Moore that could be proved incorrect come the end of the season.
Each of tight end Jamari Johnson , safety Koi Perich and edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti , all of whom have commanded early-round NFL draft attention in 2027, were left off the first or second teams as well.
With how much the accolades have rolled in for the Ducks in recent months, motivation could be drawn for a handful of Ducks that were snubbed by ESPN's preseason All-American selections.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Only 3 Ducks named ESPN preseason All-Americans
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