Verone McKinley III Addresses What Oregon Ducks Return Means to Him

Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning made a notable addition to the coaching staff leading up to the team’s season opener versus Montana State.

Former Oregon star safety Verone McKinley III returned to the program to work under Lanning. McKinley was featured in the latest episode of "Under Construction," where he spoke about what the opportunity means for him.

McKinley Returns To Oregon

oregon ducks dan lanning verone mckinley ryan walk safety pac 12 dallas warmack nfl recruiting defensive back big ten — Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks safety Verone McKinley III (23) against the Iowa State Cyclones in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The safety spent four years with the Ducks. As a redshirt freshman in 2019, McKinley led the team with four interceptions, which tied the Pac-12 lead.

By 2021, McKinley a consensus All-American and All-Pac-12 first team. He tied the FBS lead that season with six interceptions.

After playing in the NFL for a few seasons, McKinley returns to Eugene as part of the staff.

“A special place, a place I call home,” McKinley said. “I really just am glad to be back in this space, glad to be back at a school, a place with a lot of memories, a lot of success. It’s good to give back to the guys that are coming up.”

McKinley isn’t the only former Oregon player to ever return to the program. He joins a pair of alumni on the staff currently.

“You see Dallas Warmack, Ryan Walk. I played with both of those guys,” McKinley said. “Being back I think just shows how much we love our university and our school and just the people that have taken care of us for years before, for years to come.”

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McKinley’s New Role

The former player takes on the title of Oregon’s director of personnel strategy. In Oregon's fall camp documentary series, McKinley is seen at the Ducks’ fall camp practices talking to members of the team’s defensive back room.

“Being involved in some of the day-to-day stuff I think is really cool to see if from a different lens from being a player to now being on this side,” McKinley said.

McKinley also broke down things on Oregon’s opponent in the latest episode. He talked about the recruiting part of his role, where he identifies the different defensive back prospects across the nation.

“We’re always recruiting. Recruiting never sleeps,” McKinley said. “That’s probably, as a player, you want to live in the moment, live for the team we’re about to play. Now, you got to think ahead. You got to think way ahead. You try to see if we can find some more future Ducks.”

What Lanning Said

As a player, McKinley didn’t overlap with Lanning. The coach was hired following McKinley’s final season with the program.

McKinley said that Lanning still welcomes former players back to the program with welcome arms, whether he coached them or not.

“We really care about the guys that have given so much to this program. Verone is a great example,” Lanning said. “He was a great player here, went on to have an opportunity in the National Football League, and a chance to keep playing. And I think you realize, hey, I want to still be around the football, and when you can have guys that had great experiences at Oregon, they love this place like we love it.”

“They want to be back here,” Lanning continued. “I'm excited to see what he's going to be able to do for us, and I know that all that'll come with hard work and just finding a way to make our team better.”