Our Oregon Ducks football program has been busy. There’s a lot to love about how Dan Lanning has completely overhauled an already great team into an elite title contender. Of the recent additions to the roster, a handful stick out as the most impactful in 2024 & beyond.
Brandon Dorlus will be sorely missed this year. Fortunately, Lanning didn’t hesitate to find some able-bodied replacements – Photo by Craig Strobeck
3. Jamaree Caldwell & Derrick Harmon: Tandem of Transfers
If there was anywhere on this roster that needed beefing up, it was the defensive trenches. Shutting down the Big-10’s high-powered offenses is not going to be easy, and having the athletes that can get it done in Lanning’s defense is critical to team success early on.
Enter Caldwell and Harmon. As two highly-rated transfers from the portal, the pair are exceptional against the run and have proven to be able to generate a consistent pass rush. Caldwell had 6.5 sacks last year from the interior, which is going to be a huge addition to this defense’s ability to shut down on the outside as well. Now, this group is one of the strengths of the team, so Keyon Ware-Hudson and Jordan Burch can get some much-needed support without Dorlus this year.
Tez Johnson is going to have an elite season this year, but he and Traeshon Holden needed a little extra help from the portal – Photo by Eric Evans/Oregon Football
2. Evan Stewart: Troy Franklin’s Immediate Replacement
Franklin has made his way to the Denver Broncos with his running mate, Bo Nix, who showed out over the weekend in his preseason debut. As Lanning was tasked this offseason to get a new pass catcher opposite Nix’s brother Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden, the Ducks hit the jackpot with Stewart out of A&M.
Stewart can line up all over the offense and should have no issues becoming an instant problem for Big-10 defenses. Tez and co. should be in for a good year too, so let’s see this insane offense kick it up into even higher gear with Dillon Gabriel at the helm.
Gabriel has come a LONG way to get to the Ducks. Now, it’s time to go all-in on his last season – Via Twitter
1. Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore: Oregon’s Elite New Quarterback Room
Honorable Mention: Jabbar Muhammad
An obvious pick, but the right one. Gabriel’s going to immediately fill the void Nix left in this offense as a leader. After a few tune-up games and building some chemistry in this offense, I doubt we will see him struggle in many aspects of his game. He’s a perfect fit for this team now, and Moore looks like the perfect fit for the future.
Even in the early part of the offseason, there was legitimate talk over Moore potentially taking the QB1 slot this year. Of course, he would need to make a significant impact during the offseason to surpass Gabriel’s impressive stats and experience at Oklahoma, UCF, and UCLA, but it wasn’t entirely impossible. On top of Moore looking much improved, even Austin Novosad has looked outstanding so far. That says an incredible amount about what Lanning has been able to do with this team in recruiting, building a culture, and executing at the highest level. He’s created an environment that’s enticing for its flashy facilities and uniforms, but goes way beyond that in his ability to develop and nurture the talents of a complete roster.
As for our analysis this offseason, it was extremely hard to pick the top 3 additions to the team. What do you think of these as the biggest additions? Which other players have stood out to you, and who are you most excited to see play in a few weeks? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum.
Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Via Twitter: @mtorressports
Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.