Oregon Ducks football cracks top 5 of ESPN's future power rankings
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The Oregon Ducks are well-suited to make a run at the 2026 national championship with quarterback Dante Moore and a bevy of other future NFL draft picks leading the way. But once those players, namely the entire defensive line, pass-catchers Evan Stewart and Jamari Johnson and safety Koi Perich alongside Moore, presumably depart after this season, it’s not hard to see that the Ducks are well set up for a run at the 2027 title.
ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg compiled a list of all Power 4 programs in college football, ranking them from 1-68 based on their championship chances during both the 2026 and 2027 seasons, titled “College Football Future Power Rankings through 2027.“
Oregon, which ranked No. 4 in last year’s edition of the future power rankings, landed at No. 4 once again, coming in just behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (No. 1), Ohio State Buckeyes (2) and Texas Longhorns (3). Rittenberg broke down five different phases of every program: QB situation, offensive line/defensive line outlook, roster management, star power and coaching staff.
To no surprise thanks to head coach Dan Lanning and his staff’s recruiting efforts and ability to reset with talented coaches, the Ducks are strong in all five categories.
At quarterback, Moore will obviously command the spot this fall. But once he departs, former Nebraska Cornhuskers starter Dylan Raiola, also a former five-star recruit, will be his successor and potentially play out his final two seasons of eligibility as Oregon’s starter.
Meanwhile, the Ducks’ defensive line and roster management go hand-in-hand, as they retained the entire starting defensive line from 2025 — all of which would’ve been selected in the 2026 draft. But they’re back, showcasing not only Oregon’s strong retention, but young talent with edge rusher Nasir Wyatt and others waiting in the wings.
The offensive line, which looked shaky at times this spring, shouldn’t be much of an issue, per Rittenberg.
“The offensive line turns over more, although star center Iapani Laloulu will lead the group as a senior,” Rittenberg wrote. “Starting guard Dave Iuli is also back, and Oregon has interior options with senior Kawika Rogers, redshirt freshman Douglas Utu and others. The Ducks are young but talented at tackle with Fox Crader, Ziyare Addison, Zac Stascausky and decorated incoming freshman Immanuel Iheanacho. Oregon also added Yale transfer Michael Bennett.”
While there may not be star power — yet — on the offensive line outside of Laloulu, it’s spread across the rest of the roster.
“Moore will enter his fourth season as a Heisman contender, and linemen such as Laloulu, Alexander and Washington all could contend for national honors,” Rittenberg wrote. “Cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as a freshman, and Perich earned All-Big Ten honors in each of his two seasons at Minnesota. Stewart, Johnson and wideout Dakorien Moore are all worth watching in the passing game.”
Finally, the coaching staff. Similar to the offensive line, questions could be arisen about the Ducks heading into this season with two new coordinators in Drew Mehringer and Chris Hampton. But both were already in the program and won’t have to learn the players or the culture, thus likely leading to a much faster start to their tenure than if they came from the outside. Besides, Lanning has had tremendous success with his coordinators in the past, with Tosh Lupoi, Will Stein and Kenny Dillingham all becoming head coaches after working as coordinators for the Ducks.
All told, it may seem like the Ducks will suffer a bit with the departure of so many draft-eligible players after the 2026 season. But Rittenberg and ESPN see it differently, thanks to a combination of elite recruiting classes, star players across the roster and a strong coaching staff headed by the ever-stable and reliable Lanning.
Expect the Ducks to be true title contenders for the next two seasons — and beyond.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks football No. 4 in ESPN’s future power rankings
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