Oregon's Brandon Finney Jr. among nation's top returning cornerbacks

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The Oregon Ducks have one of the most talented defenses in the country, but the best player on the defense might just be a sophomore in the secondary, despite having a defensive line loaded with experience.

Brandon Finney Jr. arrived in Eugene last year as a talented true freshman, but from the outside looking in, there were no expectations that he would become the team's top shutdown corner immediately. Yet, here we are. Moving into his second season with the Ducks, Finney is ranked as the No. 3 returning corner in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus.

PFF ranked Notre Dame's Leonard Moore and Alabama's Dijon Lee Jr. ahead of Finney. The Ducks did make some changes to the secondary this offseason after losing Dillon Thieneman and Jadon Canady to the NFL. Although the program added talent through the portal and the freshman class, Finney's role on the perimeter will be under a microscope this season as he covers the top receiver from opposing offenses.

"Finney immediately became a fixture in Oregon's secondary as a true freshman in 2025," PFF's Max Chadwick wrote. "His 42.3 passer rating allowed was the lowest among qualified Big Ten outside cornerbacks. He also missed just four tackles all season and recorded three interceptions, two of which came in his standout College Football Playoff performance against Texas Tech. The Ducks lost elite talent in their secondary this offseason, but they should remain in excellent shape with Finney leading the way."

Finney racked up 44 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups en route to a Freshman All-American selection and an All-Big Ten second-team nomination. For as excellent as he was, he had some lapses in coverage, which is fair for a freshman to have. Against USC and Indiana, offenses had success against him on vertical shots downfield and physical jump balls. In the matchup against USC, facing Makai Lemon, Ja'Kobi Lane and Tanook Hines, he allowed 95 yards and had three penalties.

This season, Finney will face significant challenges against USC and Ohio State, and he could be the player to swing those games in one direction or another. Finney showed up against Texas Tech with a pair of interceptions, so he is capable of making plays in the biggest moments.

Even though he only has one season of experience under his belt, the Ducks have plenty of confidence in Finney as a leader of the defense and will rely on him opposite Ify Obidegwu to contain the vertical passing attacks in the Big Ten this season. If all goes well, Finney could be in contention for the Jim Thorpe Award, which is presented to the nation's top defensive back at the end of the season.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon's Brandon Finney Jr. among nation's top returning cornerbacks

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