Predicting Oregon Ducks' Biggest X Factor

The Oregon Ducks are entering the 2026 college football season with high expectations. If the Ducks are going to be a real threat to win the national championship, things will need to click on all sides of the ball.

ESPN revealed their top X factor for each top 25 team in college football this season. What’s Oregon’s biggest X factor?

Oregon's Biggest X Factor

oregon ducks koi perich x factor secondary defensive back transfer portal dillon thieneman minnesota golden gophers big ten — Oct 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) reacts to his teams win after the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon is ranked No. 2 by ESPN and their biggest X factor according to ESPN is safety Koi Perich. Perich was previously with the Minnesota Golden Gophers before entering the portal as a four star transfer this offseason. He chose Oregon and will be a junior when he takes the field in 2026.

In 2024 and 2025 with Minnesota, Perich had 128 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, six interceptions, one sack, five passes defended, and two forced fumbles. In 2024, Perich was named First-team All-Big Ten and Second-team All-American. In 2025, he was named Second-team All-Big Ten.

Perich will have big shoes to fill at the safety position for Oregon this season, as he will be replacing former Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman. Thieneman was selected in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

Thieneman, like Perich transferred to Oregon from a Big Ten school after two seasons there. Thieneman spent the first two years of his collegiate football career with the Purdue Boilermakers in 2023 and 2024. He was named Third-team All-American in 2023. He entered the portal after the 2024 season and transferred to Oregon as a four star transfer.

Thieneman thrived in his one season at Oregon in 2025. He had 96 total tackles, two interceptions, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and five passes defended. Thieneman was named a First-team All-American.

Will Perich be able to follow this similar path to Eugene like Thieneman and fill the void left by him?

Oregon’s Talented Secondary

Perich is joining an Oregon secondary that has no shortage of talent. A breakout star on the Oregon defense last season was defensive back Brandon Finney Jr.

Finney was a four star recruit in Oregon’s 2025 recruiting class. He made an impact right away as a freshman. During the season, Finney had 42 total tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), eight passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, three tackles for loss, and one sack.

Finney put the country on notice in Oregon’s Orange Bowl win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders, intercepting two passes and winning the 2026 Orange Bowl Defensive MVP. He enters 2026 as one of the top sophomores in the entire country.

Another young defensive back that Oregon fans should have high hopes for this season is defensive back Na’eem Offord. Offord signed with Oregon as a five star recruit in their 2025 recruiting class.

Offord had 15 total tackles as a true freshman for Oregon. He’ll look to take a big step forward as a sophomore in 2026. Offord without a doubt has the talent and upside to be a force for the Ducks secondary.

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