Dan Lanning Names Oregon Position Group to Watch Ahead of Fall Camp

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning said during his Big Ten Media Days appearance that his program’s experience entering fall camp already sets it apart from the 2025 roster.

While Lanning brought returning players with him to Chicago, one position group that will feature new faces is the offensive line. The Ducks’ coach pointed to the unit in the trenches as the group to keep an eye on as the 2026 season approaches.

Oregon Ducks Offensive Line the Group to Watch

oregon ducks dan lanning alique terry offensive line iapani laloulu dave iuli joe moore award nfl big ten recruiting transfer — Oregon center Iapani Laloulu speaks during a media day as the Oregon Ducks arrive on Jan. 7, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia ahead of the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oregon returns center Iapani “Poncho” Laloulu and right guard Dave Iuli, who both started on the unit that finished as Joe Moore Award finalists in 2025. The Ducks lost three of their five starts, however, and will likely feature at least one underclassman starter in 2026.

“There's some great competition. I would tell you it's a really talented group with a lack of experience, and that's probably the group to watch as we approach this next season,” Lanning said on Big Ten Network. “What's it going to look like? There's a lot of different pieces that can fall in place. A lot of competition at that position.”

With offensive linemen Emmanuel Pregnon, Alex Harkey and Isaiah World on to the NFL, the door opens for new starters at both tackle positions and left guard. Lanning brought in Yale Bulldogs transfer Michael Bennett in the offseason, who has the most experience of the possible starters.

Players like incoming five-star Immanuel Iheanacho, redshirt sophomore Fox Crader and former five-star Douglas Utu will all compete to earn their first season as a consistent starter.

Dan Lanning Praises Coach A’lique Terry

It’s not the first time the Ducks have experienced offensive line turnover under Lanning, who enters his fifth year. The program has dealt with offensive linemen heading to the NFL Draft in each of the last few offseasons.

Lanning credited offensive line coach A’lique Terry for being able to find the right combinations in the trenches year after year and produce results despite the constant changes.

“He's done an unbelievable job, and I think there's been multiple times in my career now where we said, ‘Oh, well, what's the o-line going to look like? These guys went to the NFL,’” Lanning said. “And guess what? A’lique's done a great job of creating a group with the other coaches that he works with, of them going out there and establishing it.”

“We've been Joe Moore Award finalists three years in a row,” he continued. “That doesn't happen on accident. That speaks volumes of the job that A’lique does and the coaches he works alongside.”

Terry not only coached three Joe Moore Award finalists in three years, but he’s also proved himself as a recruiter. The three offensive linemen who headed to the NFL in the offseason all joined Oregon as transfers ahead of 2025. As a high school recruiter, Terry ranked No. 11 in the Big Ten in the 2026 cycle and No. 19 in the 2025 cycle, per the 247Sports recruiter rankings. Terry’s credited with a No. 38 national ranking overall by 247Sports.

The Ducks retain important chemistry in the connection between Laloulu and the quarterback behind center, Dante Moore, despite the changes around them. If Terry’s track record of developing recruits and transfers is any indication, Oregon should still be on its way to another impressive season in the trenches.

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