Dierre Hill Jr. Gives Unfiltered Take About Competition With Jordon Davison

Oregon Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. got candid about embracing competition with teammate Jordon Davison.

Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) reacts after defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

EUGENE – On many sports teams, athletes might feel intimidated or jealous of someone who plays the same position as them and competes at a high level. That's not the case for the two young stars in the Oregon Ducks’ running back room.

Oregon freshmen running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. see each other as friends, not foes. Both players are competing for the top spot on the Ducks’ depth chart but they’ve allowed the competition help them reach new heights.

How Oregon Ducks Running Backs Make Each Other Better

Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Hill and Davison come off their true freshman seasons at Oregon. While they weren’t expected to take on major roles early on, they showed very quickly that they were more than ready to help contribute.

In transfer portal era of collegiate sports, players embracing competition within the locker room can feel rare. Hill told the media after a spring practice that he think the competition helps them.

“We actually just had to talk about that. We try to talk about it a lot actually. With me and Jordon, to the outside it's a competition. We both can do tremendous things with the ball,” Hill said. “But to me and him, that's my brother, and I just want to see him succeed and he wants to see me succeed.”

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) rushes during the second quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples said that the duo is so close that sometimes he has to “stir the pot.”

“That's the best part about them right now, is they're competing. They really compete with each other. And they're really good friends. They love each other,” Samples said. “So that's where I step in. And you got to start the pot a little bit. You got to not nudge them against each other. Like, ‘Ooh, Jordon, Dierre’s making a lot of plays. I haven't seen you make any.’”

“You got to tell Dierre the same thing. ‘Oh, Dierre. Look how Jordon blocked that guy. I don't know if you can do that,'” he continued. “Like they understand what it's about, they understand what I'm doing. They just kind of laugh at me when I do it now, but they compete, and as long as they keep competing, the better chance they have to be really, really good here.”

Big Sophomore Seasons

Sep 27, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Dierre Hill Jr. (23) runs for a gain after breaking a tackle by Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Zion Tracy (7) during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

Samples spoke about the improvement he’s already seen from both Hill and Davison in the offseason. He said that while Davison entered more polished, Hill’s matured a lot more.

Hill carried the ball 75 times as a freshman for 656 yards and five touchdowns. He also received 16 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown. Davison led the team in rushing yards in 2025 with 15, also rushing for 667 yards on 113 carries.

Samples said that the running back duo understands the offense more heading into their second seasons. He admitted that they were “operating off of pure talent last year” but they’ve been watching a lot of film recently.

Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Jordon Davison (0) runs with the ball during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Hill and Davison complement each other on the field, Samples said, and “can be one of the best duos” at Oregon if they continue to work. Hill said that they push each to be their best and are rooting for each other’s success.

“We truly just want to see each other do the best, and us doing the best is going out there playing hard for one another and seeing each other succeed. Because what God has in store for us can't no one stop and we just want to keep staying positive with each other,” Hill said. “And there's obviously some negative comments that could always try to trickle in there, but we never let that affect us and what we have here. And I just truly love him and want nothing but the best for him, and I know he wants the best for me as well.”

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