Oregon Ducks Offensive Coordinator Will Stein Best In College Football?

The Oregon Ducks offense has been excellent the past two years, largely thanks to Oregon Ducks offensive coordinator Will Stein. Where does he rank among college football's best, like Miami' Hurricanes' Shannon Dawson or Clemson Tigers' Garrett Riley?

New Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein leads a drill on the first practice of spring for Oregon football as the Ducks prepare for the 2023 season. Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 15 | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oregon Ducks' offense has been humming the last three seasons, and a big factor in the Ducks' offensive success recently has been offensive coordinator Will Stein. Stein has now played a role in sending two quarterbacks in back-to-back years to New York for the Heisman Trophy presentation. 

Former Ducks like Denver Broncos wideout Troy Franklin, quarterback Bo Nix, Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving, and Los Aneles Rams right end Terrance Ferguson had success in Stein's offense that led them tothe NFL.

A recent list, developed by On3's Andy Staples, lists Stein as the No. 1 offensive coordinator in all of college football. Stein’s offense led college football in points per drive (2.97) and third-down conversion rate (50.7 percent).

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws out a pass as offensive coordinator Will Stein during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

If everything goes right and the Ducks have a successful outing in the 2025-26 season, it is more likely than not that Stein will receive a job offer to be a head coach.

Arizona State coach and former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham received a job offer from ASU for the success he had at Oregon with Denver Broncos quarterback and former Duck Bo Nix. 

Jul 8, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham addresses the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Stein will have an interesting war chest of players to operate his offense through in the 2025 season. Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart went down with a knee injury back in May that could see him sidelined for the entire season.

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On the other hand, Stein will have freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore at his disposal. Moore is tabbed to have a breakout season.

Stein will also be afforded the option to continue running a portion of his offense through the tight end position, as Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq is set to play a massive role in the upcoming season. Sadiq was relatively quiet during the regular season last year, ceding most of his playing time and his targets to Ferguson, who had a breakout season of his own.

Jul 23, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Sadiq’s shining moment came in the Big Ten Championship Game, when Sadiq scored two touchdowns and hurdled a Penn State Nittany Lion defender on his way to the end zone. 

Here are the top-10 offensive coordinators in college football, according to Andy Staples of On3.

1. Will Stein, Oregon
2. Mike Denbrock, Notre Dame
3. Shannon Dawson, Miami
4. Mike Shanahan, Indiana
5. Garrett Riley, Clemson
6. Andy Kotelnicki, Penn State
7. Marcus Arroyo, Arizona State
8. Buster Faulkner, Georgia Tech
9. Jake Spavital, Baylor
10. Drew Cronic, Navy

Interesting to note that only two of the top-10 offensive coordinators listed are coaching in the Big Ten. Oregon is without a doubt very fortunate to have Stein in the booth, as the offensive coordinator will most likely field several head coach offers from multiple universities at the end of the 2025-26 season.