The Three Ducks Freshmen Poised to Become Oregon’s Next Stars

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks recently secured another great recruiting class in 2026, ranking No. 2 in the nation. An underrated factor in recruits flocking to Eugene is the impact that the previous class is having on the field in the 2025 season.

Lanning allowed true freshmen to earn ample playing time throughout the regular season, as No. 5 Oregon went 11-1 and earned a first-round College Football Playoff (CFP) game at Autzen Stadium. While redshirt freshmen Ify Obidegwu and Jeremiah McClellan have provided impactful moments, as well as true freshman wide receiver Cooper Perry, three names consistently prove they’re status as rising stars.

Wide Receiver Dakorien Moore

oregon ducks freshmen recruiting five-star dan lanning dakorien moore jordon davison brandon finney wide receiver cornerback — Sep 13, 2025; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Headshot of Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore (1) against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Dakorien Moore signed with the Ducks as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2025 high school class. He’s already lived up to the hype in his first season.

Moore finished the regular season as fourth on the team in receiving touchdowns with three and tallied 443 receiving yards on 28 catches – all while only playing in eight games. The receiver also carried the ball four times for 49 yards and a touchdown.

What excited Oregon fans just as much as Moore’s statistical production was his athletic ability and team-first play. Moore caught people’s attention in his collegiate debut by hurdling over a Montana State defender. Also in that game, he delivered a pancake block in the end zone to set the stage for a touchdown.

Moore missed the last four regular-season games due to injury. The Ducks hope to return the standout freshman for the CFP, but he’s shown his maturity through his approach to rehab.

“Dakorien, like several of the other guys that have been in that position, realize that they have a job to do, as far as pushing themselves to be back in a position where they can help this team, and they can still help this team, even when they're not out there on the field necessarily for us,” Lanning said. “So really proud of how he's handled that, proud of several of those guys and how they've handled that situation.”

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Cornerback Brandon Finney Jr.

Oregon fans, and college football fans across the country, quickly learned that Brandon Finney Jr. isn’t someone to be messed with on defense. The cornerback established himself as a starter right off the bat for the Ducks and hasn’t looked back.

Finney posted 29 total tackles, a sack, two forced fumbles, seven pass deflections, and an interception in his first regular season. The cornerback showed his confidence on the biggest stage when he recorded his first career pick-six against the Indiana Hoosiers, who entered the CFP as the No. 1 team.

“He probably takes the work necessary to be good as serious as anybody. This guy grinds. I mean, he's mature beyond his years,” Lanning said early in the season. “As far as how much time does it take to be great, like he puts in the time he's one of the first in the building every morning.”

Opposing teams have found little success when targeting Finney. Not only is he set to play a formidable role for Oregon in the years to come, but he’s someone the program will lean on in the postseason in order to make a deep playoff run.

“We’re trying to push to win a national championship,” Finney said. “We don’t care how young we are, we know that our impact has to be high level.”

Running Back Jordon Davison

The fact that either Dierre Hill Jr. or Jordon Davison doesn’t make the cut for the team’s freshmen stars shows how legit this recruiting class was.

Davison ended up getting the nod, leading the team with 13 rushing touchdowns. The running back scored in every game except three this season, running for 535 yards on 88 carries.

The true freshman started his career as the team’s go-to guy in short-yardage situations. Midway through the regular season, his role grew, and he started breaking off long runs, including a season-long of 67 against Rutgers.

“I feel like I was pretty prepared,” Davison said. “It's been a blessing to gain the coaches trust, especially as a young guy, and having other guys in the room that feel they can trust me out there on the field with them.”

Like Finney, Davison showed that he is capable of stepping up against top opponents during his performance against Indiana. Davison exceeded expectations in his first season, but with his role still growing, his production could still increase.