Oregon Ducks Mailbag: Dante Moore Injury, Jamari Johnson and a Breakout Still Needed

The No. 13 Oregon Ducks welcome the No. 21 UCLA Bruins to Autzen Stadium for the first time since both teams were still a part of the Pac-12 Conference. However, Bruins coach Bob Chesney and the 11 transfers from his former program at James Madison University know what it's like to play in Eugene, Oregon, all too well.

Oregon Ducks on SI's Ally Osborne sent out a call for Oregon fans' hottest takes and most pertinent questions ahead of this clash between West Coast programs for the Ducks' Big Ten opener.

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei (10) celebrates with defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington (52) after a defensive play against the USC Trojans during the first quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive Line Performance

"Will the Oregon all world Defensive Line finally show up this week?" - Woods @Woods0803

Against a new-look UCLA offense that prides itself on its run game, especially with senior running back and JMU transfer Wayne Knight, the Ducks' defensive line has to be on top of controlling where the rock is run. So far, Knight has 445 yards and nine touchdowns on 49 carries, which accounts for a little less than half of the team's 1,126 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season.

Right now, Oregon's defensive line contributes to a concerning 150 opponent rushing yards per game (on average), which is quite a shock halfway through the season compared to the 120.7 yards in rushing on average for opponents at the end of 2025. Those current numbers put the Ducks at No. 65 in the country for opponent rushing yards behind programs like Boise State, Texas A&M, Iowa, and Miami (which took No. 1 with 44 average opponent rushing yards per game).

When it comes to tackles for loss, Oregon is an abysmal No. 133 in the nation with 13 total tackles for loss accumulating in 53 lost yards. At the end of the 2025 season, Oregon clocked in at No. 53 nationally with 74 total tackles for loss for 300 yards over 15 total games. This Ducks' defensive line isn't keeping up with last season's numbers, and likely won't be able to.

Have there been instances of line chemistry and communication coming together later in the season? Yes, of course. However, with the current numbers and performance being put on the field by the Ducks, it's tough to say that turnaround will happen anytime soon. Coach Dan Lanning did remark in his pregame speech that facing a team he glowingly compared to 2025's Indiana Hoosiers would be tough for a squad he deemed was not where he'd like it to be.

I think part of Lanning's reference to which groups weren't fully baked is the Ducks' defensive line, as per Lanning's comments zeroing in on UCLA's rushing attack.

“I think they’re not getting touched until 3.2 yards before contact, right? With some backs that are really, really dynamic and create great matchups, and then they’re able to take shots down the field," Lanning said Monday.

Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola celebrates a touchdown by Oregon running back Dierre Hill Jr. as the Oregon Ducks face the USC Trojans on Sept. 26, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Quarterback Dante Moore's Injury Status

"Is it too soon to expect Dante Moore back taking snaps against UCLA or will we see Dylan Raiola behind center?" - Dan Westeren @Uffdamontana

The short answer to this question is officially, yes.

Moore was listed as "out" on the Big Ten-mandated availability report released on Wednesday. Even before Moore's "out" designation was released in that availability report, the verbiage used by Lanning to emphasize caution and "what's best for Dante" when referring to the senior quarterback's injury status continued to point to Moore sitting out at least this UCLA match-up.

For Moore's participation in future games, let's take a look at the six steps of the NCAA's Concussion Safety Protocol Legislation Return-To-Sport Management plan. Each step of this plan is expected to be reached with more than 24 hours of time in between steps for athletes recovering from a concussion.

NCAA's Concussion Return-To-Sport Management Plan
1. Symptom-limited activities of daily living.
2. Aerobic exercise with light resistance training as tolerated, with no exacerbation of minor symptoms.
3. Individual sport-specific exercise and activity without any risk of
inadvertent head-impact exposure.
4. Non-contact practice with progressive resistance training.
5. Unrestricted practice or training.
6. Unrestricted return-to-sport.

Due to Moore practicing with the team on Monday in pads (senior defensive lineman A'Mauri Washington even playfully joked about wanting to tackle Moore), it seems safe to say that Moore is progressing beyond the No. 4 step and will potentially be available for the Ducks' upcoming home game against Nebraska on Oct. 17.

In my opinion, I'd love to see Raiola at least get a quarter of the play against his former team (the storyline there is simply too compelling to turn away from), but there have been too many Oregon resources put into Moore to have him sit out (unless he chooses to do so).

Sep 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning instructs his team against the USC Trojans during the fourth quarter at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tight End Jamari Johnson's Impact

"TE play is the key for both blocking in the run game and opening up the pass game. When Jamari is healthy and playing well our offense is first class." - Gary Thompson @gtosports247

You know, this take is bounds away from the post-2025 fan opinions. Losing now-New York Jet Kenyon Sadiq did cause a few in the fanbase to panic about the tight end depth, but Johnson's time learning under Sadiq proved fruitful.

Though I don't believe Johnson has fully stepped into the space Sadiq leaves (I mean, those are big shoes to fill), it's certainly noticeable on the field (especially in terms of run-blocking) when he's not available.

Particularly, looking at the Oklahoma State game, when sophomore Andrew Olesh stepped in for Johnson (who was working to recover from an undisclosed injury), the struggles from an unproven Olesh in tandem with a then-particularly-uncoordinated offensive line highlighted the security Johnson provides to pound the rock.

Johnson contributes heavily to the offense functioning better than the alternative, but I'd argue my definition of "first class" wasn't observed until the Ducks' 41-27 statement win against the USC Trojans, when Johnson put up 119 yards off seven receptions with a 77.5 Pro Football Focus grade coming out of Oregon's bye week. With that performance against the Trojans, Johnson was named the John Mackey Award National Player of the Week.

Oregon TE Jamari Johnson (#9) was uncoverable against USC pic.twitter.com/MWIrVXnYWJ
— Ryan Roberts (@RiseNDraft) October 2, 2026

To be honest, I keep going back to a quote Lanning shared about Johnson's impact throughout the Ducks' offense after the win in Los Angeles.

“Jamari’s a dog. He's a smart, intelligent football player,” Lanning said after the game. “He’s different when he’s on the field. He’s that security blanket for our quarterbacks. He blocks well in the run game. So, really glad that we got the opportunity to have him out on the field.”

He's not listed on the Big Ten's availability report, so Johnson will be back and continuing to add to the Ducks' offense, and I'm excited to see the energy continuing on since that USC win.

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