What’s next for Oregon? Big changes are coming this offseason for the Ducks
The story of Oregon facing a Miami team led by former coach Mario Cristobal in the College Football Playoff national championship game would have been juicy, but it wasn’t meant to be. No. 1 seed Indiana demolished the No. 5 seed Ducks 56-22 in Friday night’s Peach Bowl, sending Oregon’s second straight 13-win season to an abrasive end.
While the 2025 campaign brought the Ducks a second straight CFP appearance and third straight 12+ winning season under fourth-year coach Dan Lanning, it also lacked substance. Oregon’s 11-1 regular season featured just one win against a team that finished in the final CFP rankings. The Ducks have shown a high ceiling at times, but poor health and two double-digit losses to Indiana have obscured the full potential of the 2025 team.
Lanning, 39, is a remarkable 48-8 with the Ducks and is no longer a “rising” star. With four years of excellent results in recruiting and on the field, he is clearly one of the top 10 coaches in college football. He will nevertheless enter the 2026 season with important boxes on his list of professional achievements still unchecked.
The Ducks have yet to play for a national championship under Lanning’s watch and have been obliterated by their conference rivals in the CFP the past two seasons. Now he’s losing both coordinators and will likely be looking for his fourth quarterback in five years.
When Cristobal left Oregon for Miami after the 2021 season, the Ducks won the deal by hiring Lanning, who was great from the start. Meanwhile, Cristobal struggled to a 12-13 record in his first two seasons with the Canes. But now it’s the Canes who are on the verge of breaking into the league. What can Oregon do to create its own?
Oregon coordinator changes
For the first time since arriving at Oregon in 2022, Lanning will not have defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi with him next season. Lupoi has accepted the head coaching job at Cal, which will leave the Ducks without one of the key architects of their rise to power.
Lanning didn’t have to go far to find Lupoi’s replacement. Chris Hampton, who has served as the program’s co-defensive coordinator for the past three years, slides into DC’s presidency. Hampton is considered an elite recruiter and defensive backs coach, and he was previously a solo defensive coordinator at Tulane.
Oregon is also promoting from within to replace offensive coordinator Will Stein, who is leaving Kentucky to become head coach. Former co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer moves to the head coordinator position.
This will be Lanning’s second time replacing an offensive coordinator after hiring Stein to replace Kenny Dillingham after the 2022 season. Finding a third straight hire at the position will be key for Lanning, who has never had to replace both coordinators in the same offseason.
It’s not an ideal scenario, but the elevation of Hampton and Mehringer should keep the floor high. Internal promotion also appears to be about minimizing the number of roster departures that might normally accompany the simultaneous departure of two coordinators. However, it will be interesting to see how many ducks end up following Lupoi and Stein to their new destinations.
What is clear is that Oregon should once again have the payroll to keep the players it wants to keep. The nation’s third high school recruiting class is also on the way.
A new quarterback coming?
Lanning permanently replaces a pair of coordinators. He may also be looking for a new quarterback. Dante Moore ranks No. 2 in CBS Sports NFL Draft prospect rankings after a stellar redshirt sophomore season.
It’s hard to imagine Moore’s poor performance in the Fiesta Bowl causing enough damage to his reputation to cause him to fall significantly in the eyes of NFL scouts. The 2026 draft class isn’t considered particularly strong at QB, meaning it’s a good time for Moore to strike.
If he declares for the draft, Oregon will have to be aggressive in trying to secure another gate prize at the position. Auburn transfer Bo Nix and Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel were veterans who carried Oregon through the first three seasons of Lanning’s tenure with good results. Moore broke the mold in 2025 after transferring to Oregon after a rough freshman season at UCLA. He redshirted in 2024, then played well in 2025 while helping the Ducks through a rash of injuries that became particularly serious at receiver.
There is no other young talent like Moore on the Oregon 2025 roster who is clearly ready to step in and be the guy. And the options are already getting slim in the portal after guys like Sam Leavitt and Dylan Raiola. The Ducks have plenty of money they could use to make a return to college football an attractive proposition for Moore. But given his draft status, most players in Moore’s position would go pro.
Looking towards 2026
Replacing a quarterback and two coordinators in the same year is no easy feat. This can be done in the 12-team playoff era because the expanded field gives teams in transition more room for error as they solidify. The 2024 Ohio State team that won the national championship is a perfect example of this. These Buckeyes had new faces at the same three key positions (OC, DC, QB). Despite losing two regular season games, Ohio State realized it was at the right time to be the last team standing.
Retention was key for these Buckeyes, who picked up several key players who could have entered the NFL Draft. Oregon’s 2026 prospects have already benefited from announcements of the return of draft-caliber players like defensive end Bear Alexander and center Iapani Laloulu. If enough others follow suit and Oregon resolves its quarterback situation satisfactorily, this program has everything it needs to compete for Big Ten and national titles next season.
