Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Raves About Dakorien Moore, Bear Alexander, Dillon Thieneman

The Oregon Ducks kicked off spring practices on Thursday, unveiling a revamped roster with over 20 newcomers. As the team sets its sights on a national championship, Oregon coach Dan Lanning shared his goals for the spring and offered insights into the fresh talent joining the Ducks this season.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning looks to the clock towards the end of the first half as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

EUGENE- Thursday marked the beginning of the Oregon Ducks' spring practices. This Oregon squad looks very different compared to last season, with more than 20 newcomers. The Ducks have big goals for this season and are aiming to contend for the program's first-ever national championship. However, in order to find success during the season, the work starts in the offseason.  

Nov 30, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out with the team before a game against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

After completing practice No. 1, Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke to the media about his goals for the spring, provided insight into the new talent, and explained why Oregon will not be canceling their spring game, unlike other Power Four programs. 

Opening Statement: 

 
“I've been around a lot of day ones that weren't great, but our guys did a good job. They’re playing with great energy and enthusiasm. You know, some early mistakes, but we've also had a lot of time to prep for practice one. So it's going to be about how we can learn and move forward from here.” 

Lanning on Emerging Leaders: 

 
“We're still in the early phases of that, right? And that's one thing that I was hoping to see today. I saw some of that. Saw some guys stepping up, but we have to develop leadership on this team. You know, we're not returning a ton of experience. We're returning some really talented players. So it's about those guys stepping up, creating leadership, creating standards for our team.” 

Oregon Ducks defensive back Dontae Manning (8) warms up during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning on Playing the Spring Game Despite the Trend of Top Programs Cancelling: 

 
“I think it's the best way for us to get better. We're absolutely gonna have a spring game and play football in the spring game. You know, just mentioned new faces. I think that's a great opportunity. 

“Autzen’s one of those places where we have a spring game. It's a game-day environment, creating that environment for those players, the competition that exists in that, and our fans, what they bring to that, I think, is a huge piece. So for me, it's the right way to cap off the spring. And as long as I'm here, we'll be doing Spring Games.” 

Lanning on the Quarterback Competition: 

 “I love the group that we got. You know, we got a bunch of cerebral guys, talented guys, some guys that bring different skill sets. In that room, it'll absolutely be a competition, competition at every single position on the field for us. And, you know, competition is what makes everybody better.” 

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Lanning on What Stands Out About the 22 Newcomers: 

 
“Well, just that there's some great players, but they don't have necessarily the same experience that we've had in the past, or at least last year, right? We had a lot of experience last year returning. So we got to figure out what these guys can do. You don't figure that out in one practice, right? And that's what the spring's for. Got a lot of opportunities to step out on the field and figure out what we have, but I think we're a team that can attack you in different ways, and we got to take advantage of that.” 

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore runs the ball as the Ducks host the Spartans Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Lanning on What He's Looking for from the Freshmen: 
 
“I'm just looking for growth, right? Don't let your highs get too high, or lows get too low. If you had a great practice, don't be satisfied. If you had a disappointing practice, don't be discouraged, right? There's opportunities to grow and continue to improve. If we have consistent growth out there on the field every day, I would be really pleased with that.” 

Lanning on Dakorien Moore’s Leadership: 

 “You don't have to be a senior to be a leader, right? You don't have to have experience to be a leader, right? But you have to be willing to put yourself out there, and Dakorien, as well as several other players on our team, are taking that lead, right? They're stepping up and taking advantage of opportunities to lead.” 

“So whoever that might be, if it's a freshman or a senior, a junior, sophomore, guy that's played 1,000 snaps, or a guy that hasn't played a snap, right, we're looking for people to step up.” 

Lanning on Purdue Transfer Dillon Thieneman: 

 "A guy that is infatuated with football, right? And infatuated with the extra work. You know, there's probably not a day that goes by that Dillon’s not in the weight room, getting bonus work, doing extra rehab, getting extra film. His intelligence, all those things, are really picking up, you know, establishing some standards for the DB group and how they're going to operate. I think he's done a great job of that, and I know he's not satisfied.” 

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans defensive lineman Bear Alexander (90) gestures during the third quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images / Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Lanning on Transfer Bear Alexander: 

 “Really excited about Bear. You know, obviously, this is a guy that's been through transition, but he hit Oregon and hit it with his feet on the ground running. He's a guy that's up here every single day trying to get extra football. He takes it very seriously. A lot of times, wants to play football almost with a linebacker mentality of being in the right spot, the right gap, you know, taking ownership of his assignment, and really pleased so far with how he's attacked things.” 

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