Oregon Ducks Lacking Experience at Key Positions

The Oregon Ducks have plenty of returning talent, as they continue to search for their first national championship victory. With the returning talent that the Ducks have, they have solidified themselves as a top and experienced team, according to CBSSports' Cody Nagel.

Oregon Ducks dan lanning cbssports veteran linebacker quarterback edge wide receiver cornerback safety defensive line — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks rank as the No. 36 team in the nation when it comes to the experience on the roster. This is a big contributing factor, as this would mean that they are in the 74th percentile among the 138 total teams. They also rank No. 35 in games and rank as the No. 33 team when it comes to starts.

This is a balanced ranking when it comes to their statistics, as they also rank as the No. 36 team in the nation when it comes to offensive snaps. When it comes to the defensive side of the ball, the Ducks rank as the No. 32 team in the nation.

Oregon has been lauded as a College Football Playoff contender because of talent and experience at key positions, but the Ducks will have a considerable amount of roster turnover heading into 2026. With seven players selected to the 2026 NFL Draft, Oregon may have more inexperience on the field than previously expected.

The offensive line, linebacker group, and cornerbacks have less experience than the rest of the roster, ranked behind an average of 76 teams. While cornerback may be the least-experienced position on the roster, the Ducks feel confident with rising sophomore Brandon Finney Jr. who proved he didn't need much experience during a breakout true freshman season.

Experience on Oregon's Offense

Nagel would go even further in detail, as CBS Sports would provide the rankings per position groups. As for the Ducks on the offensive side of the ball, there are two helpful positions. The first position is the quarterback position, as they rank No. 5 in snaps at the position with two major contributors. Those contributors are starter Dante Moore and priority backup/former Nebraska Cornhuskers starter Dylan Raiola. The fact that both quarterbacks have been starters helps this ranking rise.

The only other position higher than the whole offense's ranking is the wide receiver position. The players who will help this the most include veteran wide receiver Evan Stewart, standout route runner Jeremiah McClellan, transfer portal addition Iverson Hooks, and elite contributor Dakorien Moore. These players, plus the rest of the remaining roster at the wide receiver position, have had enough snaps to push the rankings to No. 30 among the position group.

This would mean that the running back, tight end, and offensive line position groups would rank lower than Oregon's overall ranking. The running backs are ranked No. 64, the tight ends are ranked No. 71, and the offensive linemen are ranked No. 65.

Most Experienced Groups on Oregon's Defense

On the defensive side of the ball, there are two positions that helped the Ducks earn their ranking. The first position worth mentioning is the defensive line position, which is the top position when it comes to experience. The defensive linemen rank as the No. 4 team in the nation when it comes to snaps, which is thanks to a plethora of players, including redshirt-senior Bear Alexander and senior A'Mauri Washington. Both players will add to the snap count this season.

Next is the EDGE position, which comes in as the No. 9-ranked team in the nation, as the Ducks have a veteran group of EDGE rushers with senior standout Matayo Uiagalelei and senior/freak athlete Teitum Tuioti. Both players have been contributing factors for the Ducks, and will continue to be in 2026.

The remainder of the positions rank behind the No. 30 mark. The rest of the positions include the linebackers, who rank as the No. 70 group, cornerbacks who crack the top-100 at No. 93, and the safeties who are just slightly behind the base ranking at No. 36 among all safety groups in the country.

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