Oregon Ducks Average Age Exposes Roster Advantage

College football is a cyclical sport, with the youngest up-and-coming talent securing top NIL deals to commit to certain universities while older athletes are required to consistently prove their worth on the field. For those older players, an injury or limited playing time in a season for whatever reason potentially turns into a major setback.

When looking at the age landscape of college football programs throughout the nation like the Oregon Ducks, fans may not be too suprised to learn the most successful teams, boast the youngest average ages.

Sep 20, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up before the game against the Oregon State Beavers at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Some Of The Top Programs Are The Youngest, Study Finds

It starts RotoWire's Thomas Leary, who scoured age and eligibility classes from On3, ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and official team rosters, to determine the average ages of each of the 138 FBS teams ranked from oldest (No. 1) to youngest (No. 138).

Beyond finding that Group of Five conference rosters (20.33 age on average) were almost parallel to Power Four rosters (20.31 age on average), there was an interesting trend in which teams boasted the younger athletes.

The Oregon Ducks are in a three-way tie with Conference USA's Missouri State and Mountain West's UNLV for the No. 93 spot with an average age of 20.18.

Comparing the Ducks' average age to the other 17 teams in the Big Ten shows that Oregon lies in the middle. USC clocks in as the youngest team in the conference (19.87), despite returning a lot of starting experience, with Ohio State (19.95), and Washington (20.04) close behind the Trojans. Michigan State (20.64) is the oldest team on average in the conference.

What's interesting about the Big Ten lineup especially is that the better performing teams from 2025 like Indiana, Ohio State, USC, Illinois, and Iowa are all on the younger side.

Oct 11, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) throws a pass against the Indiana Hoosiers during the first quarter at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon's 2026 Opponents, Ranked From Oldest To Youngest

With the thought in mind of the Big Ten's younger rosters holding more of edge in opponent strength, here's Oregon's 2026 match-ups ranked by the opposing teams' average ages.

1. Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Boone Pickens Stadium, Sep. 12 | Average Age: 20.74
2. Michigan State Spartans @ Spartan Stadium, Nov. 21 (Friday game) | Average Age: 20.64
3. UCLA Bruins @ Autzen Stadium, Oct. 10 | Average Age: 20.52
4. Nebraska Cornhuskers @ Autzen Stadium, Oct. 17 | Average Age: 20.51
5. Northwestern Wildcats @ Autzen Stadium, Oct. 31 | Average Age: 20.48
6. Boise State Broncos @ Autzen Stadium, Sep. 5 | Average Age: 20.34
7. Michigan Wolverines @ Autzen Stadium, Nov. 14 | Average Age: 20.24
8. Illinois Fighting Illini @ Memorial Stadium, Oct. 24 | Average Age: 20.17
9. Washington Huskies @ Autzen Stadium, Nov. 28 | Average Age: 20.04
10. Ohio State Buckeyes @ Ohio Stadium, Nov. 7 | Average Age: 19.95
11. USC Trojans @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Sep. 26 | Average Age: 19.87

*** Portland State age unavailable as an FCS program

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Reece Vander Zee (15) is stopped by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) and Oregon Ducks defensive back Jadon Canady (22) Nov. 8, 2025 during a Big Ten Football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Age On The Field

For the Ducks, it's easy to point to returning junior Dante Moore, who's hype entering the 2026 season includes him being a projected first round draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. His entire career with Oregon is based on maturing, with Moore sitting behind Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel for the 2024 season in order to develop.

There's also senior center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu, who's spent his entire college career with the Ducks, and his knowledge through his years on the field helped him navigate multiple offensive line transfer turnovers. Speaking of lines, Oregon's returners on the defensive line including A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander are also expected to be one of the top units in the nation because of their prior experience.

Age might be important for positions of higher injury rate like running back and wide receiver, but in certain positions, talent and experience sometimes overtakes the youth angle.

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