Three Pressing Questions for the Oregon Ducks Ahead of Big Ten Media Days

The 2026 football season is right around the corner, and expectations couldn't be higher for the Oregon Ducks as they look to finally break through and secure the program's first-ever national championship.

The Big Ten Conference's media days open on July 28 and continue through July 30. The three-day event will offer fans and media alike their first glimpse into Oregon's mentality ahead of the season, as well as insight into how the Ducks are addressing the biggest questions surrounding the season.

The road to the College Football Playoff championship game will be far from easy. The Ducks' strength of schedule sits just outside the top 25 at No. 26 in the nation and No. 8 per ESPN's Resume College Football Power Index.

Oregon Ducks 2026 football season Big Ten Media Days Dan Lanning Dante Moore Heisman Trophy Evan Stewart — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads the Ducks onto 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. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Ducks will have to face both USC and Ohio State on the road, as well as host a revamped Michigan program at Autzen Stadium over the course of the season.

Luckily for Oregon, there is a lot more certainty on this year's roster. Last season, there were significant question marks about the experience of the team. This year, the Ducks are back with key returners, an experienced quarterback at the helm and a handful of rising sophomores and juniors with postseason experience under their belts.

Although there are certainly fewer questions surrounding the Ducks heading into 2026 compared to a season ago, there are still three very pressing questions for coach Dan Lanning's program heading into the season.

Can Dante Moore take final leap to Heisman-caliber quarterback?

The Ducks return one of the best quarterbacks in the nation in Dante Moore. Moore is fresh off a season where he completed over 70 percent of his passes and threw for over 3,565 yards. 2025 was a successful season for Moore, to say the least, but now the question is whether or not Moore can take the final leap into Heisman-caliber territory.

The biggest setback for Dante Moore was his 10 interceptions across 15 games. The quarterback was also sacked 17 times for a loss of 128 yards. If Moore can clean up those mistakes heading into the season, he could very well be in New York City as a Heisman finalist, and the conversation is already beginning.

Over the summer, Oregon launched a global marketing campaign centered around its quarterback during the program's Tokyo Oregon Football Showcase.

Oregon unveiled massive green-and-yellow digital billboards featuring Moore throughout Tokyo's famous Shinjuku and Shibuya districts. The campaign, headlined with the slogan "Yes, There's Moore!" quickly went viral.

How will new Oregon Ducks coordinators adapt?

Following the departure of both offensive coordinator Will Stein, who was hired as head coach at Kentucky, and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi, who was hired as head coach at Cal, Oregon promoted two key staff members from within to take over play-calling duties for 2026.

Drew Mehringer, Oregon's former tight ends coach, will take over as offensive coordinator, while Chris Hampton, who previously served as Oregon's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach, will take over the defense.

The promotions provide Oregon with continuity, but shifting from assistant coach to primary play-caller for a national championship contender comes with pressure, and Oregon doesn't have much room for error.

With Dante Moore returning, an elite defensive line and high preseason expectations, Mehringer and Hampton are stepping directly into a high-stakes title push.

Mehringer will have to adjust from managing the tight end room to managing the play clock, sequencing plays, personnel packages and the way defenses react on the fly. He will also be tasked with building a game plan that plays to Moore's strengths while helping him avoid the double-clutch interceptions and unnecessary sacks that hurt him last season.

Hampton, meanwhile, will have to balance Oregon's aggressive secondary with the physicality of the Ducks' front seven. He has done a phenomenal job helping build Oregon's defensive back room, but taking over the full defensive call sheet brings another level of responsibility.

Both coaches have prior play-calling experience, but doing it at the highest level of Power Four football against top-tier coaching staffs brings an entirely different level of pressure. How they adapt to those increased roles could be one of the defining storylines of Oregon's 2026 season.

Can Evan Stewart bounce back from injury?

Evan Stewart's status heading into 2026 is easily one of the most compelling storylines on the entire roster.

After suffering a torn patellar tendon in June 2025 that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season, Stewart elected to return to Eugene for a final run. His situation carries massive stakes, not just for Drew Mehringer's passing game, but for Stewart's personal NFL Draft trajectory as well.

Before his injury, Stewart was widely projected as a potential early-round pick. When he's healthy, the tape doesn't lie. His seven-catch, 149-yard, one-touchdown performance against Ohio State in 2024 showed the game-breaking ceiling he possesses.

Because Stewart spent 2025 on the sideline recovering, he and Dante Moore haven't had extensive live-game reps together. Developing that connection will be vital before Big Ten play kicks into high gear.

If Stewart can return to his 2024 pre-injury form, Oregon could have one of the most dangerous perimeter groups in the nation.

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