Oregon Ducks 2026 Season Is Not Championship Or Bust

The Oregon Ducks will go into 2026 with high expectations, but Ducks fans should be just as excited for the next three seasons in addition to the coming year.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning holds an orange during the head coaches press conference ahead of Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, 2025, in Dania Beach, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It may seem for Oregon fans that coach Dan Lanning and his staff have been building towards 2026 as being the “all in” year, but the reality is that the Ducks and Lanning will be set up for success for years to come.

Every year under coach Dan Lanning, the Ducks have advanced further and further in the College Football Playoff, and if that trend continues, the Ducks will be in the national championship game next season. 

Ducks Land at No. 1 for Team Most set up for Future Success

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field as the Oregon Ducks practice at Barry University ahead of the Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On3’s college football reporter J.D. Pickell released a list of his top ten teams that are the most set up for success in the future, and he had the Oregon Ducks listed at No. 1. Pickell praised the Ducks in his latest youtube video.

“It seems like it is a matter of when, not if, for Dan Lanning and the Ducks winning a national championship, and I believe it will happen in the next three years.”

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For the next three seasons, the Ducks should be in the mix to win the national championship each year, with just making the College Football Playoff becoming the expectation in Eugene. While Ducks quarterback Dante Moore could technically come back to the team in 2027, the general expectation is that he will declare for the 2027 NFL Draft at the conclusion of next season, leaving the keys to the offense and the team to transfer quarterback Dylan Raiola.

Oregon Ducks 2027 Skill Players Should Instill Confidence

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

The 2027 Ducks will most likely be better on the perimeter than the 2026 team will be. Dakorien Moore will have another year of seasoning, and the two freshman Oregon running backs Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison will be entering their junior seasons. If the Ducks can hold on to all three they should be set at skill positions, especially with incoming five-star freshman tight end Kendre Harrison.

Ducks Defense Could be a Question Mark in Future

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on during the fourth quarter against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The Ducks defense will be a bigger question mark than the offense going into the next three seasons. While Ducks defensive back Brandon Finney Jr. looks set to be one of the best cornerbacks in all of college football, there will be questions on the defensive line as it is extremely likely that all of the Ducks starting defensive line will declare for the 2027 NFL Draft at the conclusion of next season. 

Ducks fans should be excited about 2026, and rightfully so with Ducks quarterback Dante Moore returning, but the 2027 and 2028 seasons could provide just as much promise as the 2026 season. It will most likely be Dylan Raiola at the helm in 2027, with the 2028 Ducks starting quarterback too tough to predict at the moment.