The Oregon Offense is Still Growing

Oregon just finished the season 11-1, but the journey isn’t over yet.

For the vast majority of college football playoff history, the end of the regular season means one or two more games and a time to wrap up the season, and 11 wins is a good season. However, with the 12-team playoff, the Ducks are now gearing up for a second mini-season and though the Ducks missed out on the B1G Championship Game, I think the entire program is breathing a sigh of relief with such a depleted roster. The ultimate goal is in front of them: winning a National Title.

And with all of that to come, this Oregon team still feels incomplete. Not incomplete in the way that they have missing pieces on the roster, but incomplete in that, through a pile of injuries that have kept players out of games and injuries that have held players back from their full potential, it feels like we haven’t seen the final form of this Oregon offense. Our Mr. FishDuck took a break from his study of a gamezone rebate to completely agree, as he feels there is excellent upside remaining in this 2025 team.

The Offensive Line Finds a Way

In games against Wisconsin and Iowa, the Ducks battled through rainstorms that made throwing the ball difficult, and it was the offensive line that built this Oregon team’s rushing identity.

Then there is the offensive line throughout November where the depth has flourished. Isaiah World, Alex Harkey and Iapani Laloulu have all missed time in November, and even the primary offensive line backup Gernorris Wilson has been out for the last few games. The only two healthy offensive linemen have been Dave Iuli and Emmanuel Pregnon, who have thankfully been able to anchor this depleted line.

This has been a testament to how deep this team has become, that Oregon has taken all these hits in November, in the meat of their schedule, and come out on the other side with an undefeated month and a better team for it. Losing starting linemen is always a cause for worry, but the Ducks have found success going deep into the offensive line, which bodes well not only for December and January but also the 2026 season.

Receivers Step Up

Since Iowa, the first game in November, Oregon has been without their (at the time) top receiver in Dakorien Moore, and in the first quarter against Iowa the Ducks lost their No. 2 receiver in Gary Bryant Jr. Neither player has made it back into a game since. Kenyon Sadiq was out with injuries during November, though he has made it back into the rotation in a big way — and while we are on pass-catchers, Evan Stewart hasn’t played a single snap all year and is supposedly due for a return soon.

Jamari Johnson and Malki Benson celebrate after a major catch against Washington.
(Photo By: Truong Nguyen)

But with losses come opportunities, and Jeremiah McClellan and Malik Benson have certainly made the most of their opportunities. McClellan has become a fairly reliable target for quarterback Dante Moore and frankly needs more targets.

Benson has had two electric plays in the past two games. Against USC he took a punt return back for a touchdown, and against Washington on 3rd and 9, worked his way into an opening in the Washington zone defense and proceeded to take the ball 64 yards for a touchdown. Both were game-defining plays and gave the Ducks a lead they desperately needed.

Then who can forget Jamari Johnson? He hasn’t been as flashy as the McClellan, Benson, or Sadiq but he has been solid and made the plays expected of him.

Defenses are going to have to account for all these emergent threats and the return of Dakorian Moore and Bryant. It is going to be a headache for any coordinator to scheme up a reliable defense against.

Ducks Peaking?

The next time the Ducks hit the field will likely be the end of December, and by then they should have a fully healthy team. That will mean whoever they face in the playoff is going to have to account for all of Oregon’s weapons, something Oregon’s last four opponents have not had to worry about. With everything available to quarterback Moore, it is going to be a nightmare for James Madison University to prepare for and after that Texas Tech’s vaunted defense will get their shot to try and slow down the Oregon offensive attack.

The timing of the playoff is lining up just right for the Ducks who still have yet to play their best football.

David Marsh 
Portland, Oregon
Top Photo By: Max Unkrich

Natalie Liebhaber, the FishDuck.com Volunteer Editor for this article, works in financial technology in SLC, Utah.

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David Marsh

David Marsh is a high school social studies teacher in Portland, Oregon. As a teacher he is known for telling puns to his students who sometimes laugh out of sympathy, and being both eccentric about history and the Ducks.

David graduated from the University of Oregon in 2012 with Majors in: Medieval Studies, Religious Studies, and Geography. David began following Ducks Football after being in a car accident in 2012; finding football something new and exciting to learn about during this difficult time in his life. Now, he cannot see life without Oregon football.