Dan Lanning Opens Up About the Oregon Ducks' Superpower

The Oregon Ducks' 2025 season has looked a lot different from when they went undefeated in the 2024 regular season and won the Big Ten Conference Championship. The Ducks entered the postseason with a loss on their record and a handful of young players gaining their first College Football Playoff starts in the first round vs. Jams Madison.

The path for Oregon to make a deep postseason run is still there. Coach Dan Lanning went on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and revealed what he thinks his team’s biggest superpower is ahead of their quarterfinal matchup against Texas Tech.

oregon ducks dan lanning pat mcafee college football playoff injury dakorien dante moore gary bryant evan stewart trey mcnutt — Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning smiles during the third quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

What Dan Lanning Said About Strength in Numbers

The Ducks’ regular season didn’t lack adversity. Between a high-pressure overtime game, having to comeback with two minutes left on the road and a plethora of injuries, Lanning’s squad has had a lot to overcome. Throughout all the adversity, the team stuck together.

“I think our superpower is our love for our teammates,” Lanning said. “I think our superpower is the amount of guys that make an impact on this team.”

Quarterback Dante Moore said after the Ducks’ first-round win that the group has grown throughout the season because of the way they’re connected.

With players like wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr., as well as various players on the offensive line, coming in and out the lineup, the offense has barely missed a beat. Other players have stepped up when their number has been called.

“I think strength in numbers has really been a superpower for us. We’ve been down players and then we’ve had players available,” Lanning said. “We’ve had guys that you didn’t expect to make an impact, make a huge impact. So, I think really our superpower is the strength in numbers and the buy in from our players.”

Lanning’s roster seem to be getting healthy at the right time. Moore and Bryant both returned to the field vs. the Dukes after missing over a month of action. Wide receiver Evan Stewart and defensive back Trey McNutt have both been seen practicing in the past week despite not playing yet this season.

The Ducks should become harder to scout with more players returning from injury. The way that players like wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan have stepped up for Oregon when its needed creates a variety of options for the coaching staff to choose from, and it makes the team more unpredictable.

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The Team’s Trust in the Coaching Staff

The players on the Ducks may have a lot of chemistry and trust in one another, but part of their “superpower” seems to be the trust they have in the coaching staff.

After Oregon had a lackluster second half against JMU, Moore said that he’s confident the team will clean up its mistakes because he knows his coach is going to continue to push them in practice.

“Coach Lanning's our leader. We go as he goes,” Moore said. “He's going to make sure that he's going to push us very hard next week. We're going go watch film. Of course, he's proud of us for us making it this far.”