Three Oregon Ducks Entering Make-or-Break Seasons

The Oregon Ducks enter the 2026 season with bigger expectations than ever. While the team is expected to make a deep playoff run, multiple Oregon players have a lot to prove.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

EUGENE – The 2026 Oregon Ducks season already features lofty expectations and National Championship ambitions. In addition to big team goals, individual players have a lot to compete for.

A handful of Ducks enter the 2026 with opportunities to seize starting roles or make their case as future NFL Draft picks. A trio of players stand out with the most on the line.

Linebacker Devon Jackson

Oregon Ducks linebacker Devon Jackson (26) makes a confetti angel on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, after the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Oregon Ducks defeated the Penn State Nittany Lions, 45-37. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Oregon linebacker Devon Jackson has shown statistical improvements throughout his Ducks career, but 2026 is his chance to really establish himself as a starter. Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher exercised the rest of his collegiate eligibility, which leaves a spot open alongside linebacker Jerry Mixon in the defensive lineup.

Jackson finished the last two seasons with over 40 total tackles. He’s shown his potential to star for the Ducks with his play in big games. He tied a career-high of seven tackles in the 2025 Big Ten Conference Championship game and recorded six tackles against James Madison during December’s first-round College Football Playoff game.

Many predicted Jackson would start next to Boettcher in 2025, but Mixon ended up earning the starting nod. With Boettcher gone, somebody will need to step up at linebacker. Jackson enters his redshirt senior season with a golden opportunity to slide into the starting lineup and raise his draft stock.

Wide Receiver Evan Stewart

Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) poses during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart made the decision in 2025 to forgo the NFL Draft and return to Oregon. That decision didn’t end up going quite as expected. Stewart was anticipated to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, but instead, he returned to Eugene and suffered a torn patellar injury that kept him out for the entirety of the 2025 season.

Stewart is in a unique situation. He’s already proved himself at the collegiate level, but now he needs to boost his draft stock again.

Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart walks the field during warmups as the Oregon Ducks face the Ohio State Buckeyes Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in the quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Stewart displayed his talent and fit at Oregon in 2024. He totaled five touchdowns and 613 receiving yards that season, including 149 yards and a touchdown in a regular-season win against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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This time, he’ll be competing in a loaded wide receiver room. Former five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore established himself as a starter entering his sophomore season, and multiple freshmen are hungry to play formidable roles. Wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan comes off an impressive finish to 2025 and UAB transfer wide receiver Iverson Hooks enters with promise.

It won’t be easy to earn snaps in 2026. If Stewart’s season goes anything like it did in 2024, he’ll be in good shape entering the 2027 NFL Draft.

Offensive Lineman Fox Crader

The Ducks’ offensive line is undergoing major changes this offseason, with three players heading to the NFL Draft. Center Iapani Laloulu and offensive guard Dave Iuli return, but there are three other openings in the starting lineup.

Oregon offensive tackle Fox Crader is only entering his redshirt sophomore year, but there’s an argument to be made that the stakes are higher for him than for any other player in the unit. The Ducks’ options to start at left tackle are on the younger side, so the time to earn a key role on the offensive line is this offseason.

Jan 1, 2025; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning looks on in the second quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2025 Rose Bowl college football quarterfinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Crader’s competition at left tackle isn’t easy. He’ll compete with five-star recruit Immanuel Iheanacho for the start, with offensive linemen like Ziyare Addison and Gernorris also in contention for the spot.

The redshirt sophomore displayed why he’s ready for a starting role during the Ducks’ 2025 matchup vs. USC. The offensive line was dealing with injuries, and despite Crader only playing five games up until that point, he thrived when his moment came. This offseason is the perfect time for Crader to secure a starting position and solidify himself as a key player in the Ducks' lineup for the next couple of seasons.