Every Transfer Expected to Make an Immediate Impact for Oregon Football

In the era of the transfer portal, players like quarterbacks Dante Moore and Bo Nix and running back Bucky Irving have led the Oregon Ducks to success despite beginning their careers elsewhere.

Ahead of the 2026 season, the Ducks welcome the No. 21 transfer class, according to 247Sports. While former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola headlines the transfers expected to fit into the program’s long-term plan, coach Dan Lanning brought in transfers expected to make an impact right away.

Offense: Wide Receiver Iverson Hooks

oregon ducks transfer portal dan lanning koi perich michael bennett markus dixon iverson hooks carl williams safety receiver — Combat Ducks wide receiver Iverson Hooks carries the ball during warmups during the Oregon Ducks annual spring game on April 25, 2026 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Lanning era of Oregon football has featured leading receivers brought in from the transfer portal: Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart and, most recently, Malik Benson.

Oregon brings in former UAB receiver Iverson Hooks ahead of the 2026 season. Hooks could fulfill a role in the slot similar to what Johnson played when he transferred to the Ducks. Oregon returns Stewart, former five-star Dakorien Moore and 2025 breakout receiver Jeremiah McClellan.

Hooks joins a loaded receiver room, but adds experience to a young group. Hooks recorded 97 receptions for 1,225 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns in four years at UAB. While those numbers will almost surely go down in 2026, he’s still expected to make a notable impact in the offense this season.

Defense: Safety Koi Perich

Outside of Raiola – who is anticipated by fans and media to take on a backup role in 2026 before claiming a starting role in 2027 – former Minnesota Golden Gophers transfer Koi Perich is the other transfer headliner in 2026.

Perich’s career mirrors that of former Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman. Thieneman was a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft after spending two years starring for a rival Big Ten program (Purdue) and then transferring to Oregon as a junior, where he starred for the Ducks' program in the national spotlight.

Perich similarly enters his junior season as a transfer, and if he has another standout season, he could be on to the NFL Draft in 2027. Perich tallied 128 tackles, four pass deflections, two forced fumbles, a sack and six interceptions in two years in Minnesota. It would come as a shock if he comes up with anything less than a key starting role for the Ducks.

Offense: Offensive Lineman Michael Bennett III

The Ducks continue to be among the finalists for the Joe Moore Award for the nation’s top offensive line under Lanning and offensive line coach A’lique Terry. Oregon did, however, lose three of its five offensive line starters to the NFL in the offseason.

The program returns starting center Iapani Laolulu and right guard Dave Iuli, but Terry will need to find starters at both tackle positions and at left guard. Yale Bulldogs transfer Michael Bennett III is the most experienced option to fill a starting spot.

Bennett earned back-to-back All-Ivy First Team selections at Yale and appeared in all 22 games the last two seasons. The 6-5 redshirt senior already earned praise from Lanning in the spring season for his leadership and approach to practice.

Given that the Ducks’ other options are either first or second-year players or without starting experience, Bennett should be a stronger contender to claim one of the three open roles in the unit in 2026.

Defense: Cornerback Carl Williams IV

Perich might not be the only transfer to break out in the Oregon secondary. Former Baylor Bears defensive back Carl Williams IV enters with an opportunity after former Oregon defensive back Jadon Canady went on to the NFL.

Williams notched 21 tackles, a pair of pass deflections, a forced fumble and an interception in 2023 at Baylor – stats that he improved upon as a sophomore in 2024. But in 2025, he battled injuries.

The defensive back can seize a notable role or even a starting position at Oregon with a healthy season in 2026. Like Perich, Williams is one of the transfers with prior Power Four experience. Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton additionally praised his work ethic, hinting that Williams could be in store for a big season in the Ducks’ secondary.

Offense: Tight End Markus Dixon

One of the Ducks’ transfers who has flown more under the radar is tight end Markus Dixon. Dixon previously played edge rusher with the Clemson Tigers. But is moving over to the offensive end of the field with the Ducks. Tight end Jamari Johnson is expected to move into a starting role and has earned much of the attention at the position in the offseason.

But Dixon could slide into the backup role, similarly to how Johnson was a standout backup for tight end Kenyon Sadiq last season after transferring from the Louisville Cardinals. Dixon ranked as a top-50 tight end by Rivals and 247Sports coming out of high school. Lanning said during the spring that Dixon asked Sadiq, who was on campus at the time before the NFL Draft, about how he could improve.

Dixon might not be the Ducks’ starting tight end in 2026, but if he continues to take initiative and improve while moving from defense to offense, there may be plenty of snaps in his future.

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