Oregon’s Returning Stars Power New Top 25 Ranking

The Oregon Ducks received a favorable ranking in an early top-25 list of teams post-spring ball.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning holds an orange during the head coaches press conference ahead of Orange Bowl on Dec. 31, 2025, in Dania Beach, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are preparing for their 2026 season with some of the highest expectations surrounding the program in recent memory.

The Ducks are not only returning star quarterback Dante Moore for another season, but also their entire starting defensive line. With the Ducks' spring ball coming to a close, On3 college football analyst J.D. PicKell released his top-25 college football teams post-spring ball.

Oregon Ducks Earn High Ranking From J.D. PicKell

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore walks off the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Ducks came in ranked at No. 3 in PicKell’s top-25 team rankings. The Ducks were only behind the Ohio State Buckeyes, who ranked at No. 2, and the Georgia Bulldogs, who were ranked at No. 1. Out of the top-10 teams in PicKell’s top-25 list, only three are members of the Big Ten, with Ohio State, Oregon, and No. 7-ranked Indiana representing the conference, which has won three straight national championships. 

The Ducks at No. 3, at first glance, seems like a fair ranking. The Ducks have made the College Football Playoff in each of their last two seasons and have only lost to the eventual national champions in each of their last three seasons. 

The Ducks' 2026 team on paper should be just as good, if not better than the 2025 team. Moore will have had another offseason to hone his craft, while he will get a weapon on the perimeter back in wide receiver Evan Stewart, who missed the 2025 season with an injury. 

Oregon Defense Poised to Turn Heads in 2026

NCAA Football Oregon linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

While the Ducks' offense should take a step forward from their 2025 season, the Ducks' defense is where Oregon will turn heads in the 2026 season. The entire 2025 starting defensive line is returning for the 2026 season, which will feature defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, who logged 10.5 sacks in his 2024 season, which was the most in the Big Ten. 

The Ducks will have a chance to prove PicKell’s list wrong, as they play Ohio State in Columbus in 2026 for the first time since they won at the Horseshoe in 2021. The Oregon-Ohio State matchup will also feature two quarterbacks who will most likely be in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy next year: Moore and Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin. 

Ducks Will Play Three Programs in Top-25 List

Dec 20, 2025; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on before the game against the James Madison Dukes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Outside of Ohio State, the Ducks will play two other programs in 2026 who are listed inside Pickell’s top-25 list. The USC Trojans are listed at No. 13 and will play the Ducks in Los Angeles next season. The Trojans have been a thorn in the Ducks' side on the recruiting side in this past cycle, as the Trojans have been able to lure away several recruits from the Ducks. 

The Washington Huskies are ranked at No. 17 in Pickell’s top-25 list. The Huskies and Ducks will play at Autzen Stadium this season, as Ducks coach Dan Lanning will look to pick up his third straight win over the Huskies. 

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