D'Antre Robinson Explains Why He Chose Oregon in the Transfer Portal

Former North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman D'Antre Robinson revealed the reasoning behind his decision to commit to the Oregon Ducks as a transfer.

Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When former North Carolina defensive lineman D’Antre Robinson was deciding which school he wanted to transfer to, one factor played a major role. Robinson’s question when making his decision was which school would provide him with the right opportunity to reach his goal of making the NFL.   

Luckily for Robinson, Oregon's proud history of adding transfer portal players and turning them into NFL prospects was enough for him to commit to the Ducks. Robinson arrives at Oregon after recording 39 total tackles, one forced fumble, and 0.5 sacks in his one season with North Carolina. Here’s everything Robinson had to say following Oregon’s spring practice on Monday.

What Made Him Want to Come to Oregon:

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) celebrtates with defensive tackle D'Antre Robinson (6) after making a sack in the second quarer at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“The way they deliver how hard it is to come here, how hard it is to work here. They have the resume to tell you, like, you’re a D-lineman, it’s almost guaranteed, like you come in and work hard, you come in and be the guy, you come here and work and do your thing. You're basically going to go to the league, and it's kind of like they set that resume for the last four or five years. And it's like a no-brainer for me. If I come here its going to be hard work. It’s going to be hard for me to come put the work in, but I got a great chance to go to the NFL, and that’s my main goal.”

Joining a Talented Defensive Line:

Oregon defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington celebrates a sack as the Oregon Ducks host the Indiana Hoosiers Oct. 11, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It’s been great, honestly, most people be scared to come to a room where two guys that’s returning came back and stuff like that, but me, I was like, man, I get to play and learn from guys like Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington. And then I come here and learn about Matt Johnson, and his work ethic is crazy. People don’t know that, but Matt Johnson's work ethic is super crazy, and it made me want to work even harder."

"Like, I just love the room that we have. Like you can learn different things from different players, and everybody got a different game, but like you can take a piece from everybody's game and really just thrive from that. Like Aydin Breland's pass rush moves, I just try to learn from him. Matt Johnson’s work ethic has barely done his strike; I’m trying to get my strike better. A’Mauri Washington is fast. I don’t know what off the line. So it’s crazy I could just learn from everybody," said Robinson.

Opportunity On Defensive Line:

“The opportunity was there. They had a lot of guys leave, they had a few guys return, but it was like I come here and work hard, and I know I feel like I’m going to bet on myself. So if I come in and work hard, I know I’m going to have a great chance to play and be in that rotation, no matter how the rotation is. That’s up to the coaches," Robinson said.

On Past Transfer Portal Players' Success At Oregon:

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Bear Alexander celebrates a fumble recovery as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Honestly, I didn’t have any connection with anybody on the staff, but the sell that you just talked about was like very like a big point of my choice of coming here. They had a few guys come in for a year or two and go to the NFL, and it's like it’s not just they’re talking. They have the proof and the pudding to show you all the guys that came here and then made it to the NFL off of just coming here, working hard, and they chose hard. That’s what I did. I chose hard and came here.”  

What Fans Should Know About Him As a Player Off-Field:

“I’m a funny guy. I’m a great guy to be around. I feel like outside of football, I like to fish. I like to play basketball a little bit. I like to hang out with the guys, and I’m just a fun guy to hang around.”

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