Chris Hampton Speaks Openly On Oregon's Defensive Improvement

The Oregon Ducks have officially wrapped up their first week of spring practice as preparations for winning their first national championship in program history have begun. After finishing the 2025 season with a 13-2 overall record, the Ducks enter 2026 with two new coordinators on offense and defense.

One of those coordinators is Chris Hampton, who is set to lead the defensive playcalling for the Ducks next season. After the departure of Tosh Lupoi to the California Golden Bears, Hampton takes over as defensive coordinator and looks to keep the Ducks the most dominant group in college football this season.

Oregon Ducks College Football Big Ten Chris Hampton defensive coordinator California Golden Bears Tosh Lupoi spring practice — New co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Chris Hampton, right, joins the first practice of spring for Oregon football as they prepare for the 2023 season. Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 06 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

Following Saturday’s practice, Hampton spoke about how the Ducks' defense has looked through the first few days of spring football and the strides they are taking to remain dominant heading into the 2026 season.

Getting Better On Defense:

“I think we can get better, we can obviously grow. We’ve been good on defense, but we want to be elite. I think there’s room for growth for sure. Putting my stamp on it, it’s really not about me and my opinions, it’s about tapping into the players and putting the players in a position to evaluate our talent and how can I utilize our talent to put guys in the right position to make plays,” said Hampton.

On Jett Washington:

“He’s obviously got a rare size-speed combination. He’s a guy who is every bit of 6-5, you know, and he looks the part, for sure. Anyone that comes out there and see him is like, ‘God, that guy’s huge.’ You know, he’s got the right mindset. He really does, man, I love this guy;s mental makeup. He is infatuated with the details. I mean, he watches a lot of film on his own, asks a lot of great questions. He’s a fast learner. I think he’s gonna have a very bright future here.”

Adjusting to New Changes In Secondary:

“Every year is new, especially in today’s age of college football with the transfer portal, you’ve got to be able to adapt and adjust. If you can’t adjust right now, you’re going to die as a coach. Your team may change year to year,” said Hampton.

“I think last season we had to replace five starters. This year, we’ve got a lot of guys coming back, but we lost a lot of guys as well. We’ve got a lot of youth that we’ve got to develop, so it’s just starting over each and every year,” Hampton continued.

Brandon Finney’s Improvement:

Oregon Ducks College Football Big Ten Brandon Finney Jr. defensive back Chris Hampton defensive coordinator secondary — Oregon defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. celebrates an interception as the Oregon Ducks take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 2026, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Looking back on it with Brandon, and he and I did a study over the offseason, and all we talked about was how he can get better? I think everybody in social media and everybody’s patting him on the back for how great a season he had, and he did. He had a great season, but there’s a lot of room for growth for him, and a lot of room for improvement,” said Hampton.

“Brandon is the type of kid that wants to get better; he’s not really talking about what I did last season, he’s talking about what I didn’t do. What was I not good at? How can I improve, and that’s how you get better. Everybody likes to talk about their strengths and what they're good at, but if you want to be elite, you’ve got to master your weaknesses, and he does that,” Hampton continued.