What will No. 7 Oregon do to build on its stellar Big Ten debut? 'Double down'

Oregon made a splash during its first year in the Big Ten, going undefeated in the regular season and winning the conference title with a victory over Penn State in the championship game.

So what do the Ducks do for an encore in season No. 2? Well, that's coach Dan Lanning's theme for the season: double down.

Lanning is in his fourth year at Oregon and, while a national championship has eluded the Ducks, they went 13-0 overall and 9-0 in the Big Ten last season. The No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, they fell to eventual champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals.

“We have done an unbelievable job of building this team over time. You look at our success season to season, and as this team has grown, the process works. We’re close. We’ve been able to accomplish a lot,” Lanning said.

There are some big changes this season. Ten Oregon players from last season went to the NFL. Among them was senior quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who is now with the Cleveland Browns.

His likely replacement is Dante Moore, a sophomore who played for UCLA as a freshman before serving as Gabriel's backup last season and eventually taking a redshirt. The former five-star recruit appeared in five games last season, completing 7-of-8 passes for 49 yards.

But while the faces have changed, the goal remains the same, and for Lanning that's just continuing the process.

“What’s the best version of us? If we’re playing our best football, if we’re being the best that we can possibly be, then that’s something I’m excited about. The results kind of take care of themselves," Lanning said. "What’s our goal? I mean, we have high standards. We came here to win championships. Obviously, we got an opportunity to taste that last year with the Big Ten championship. We want to win them all, not just some of them.”

Oregon opens the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25.

Senior receiver Evan Stewart was expected to be a prime target for Moore this season but he injured his knee in the offseason and is recovering from surgery to repair a torn right patellar tendon.

He was Oregon's top returning receiver with 48 receptions for 613 yards and five touchdowns last season. It is unclear whether he’ll play this season, although it seems unlikely.

Oregon's receiver corps was further depleted when Jurrion Dickey was suspended indefinitely during preseason camp. Dickey, a former five-star recruit, played in 15 games in two years with the Ducks, but had just two catches for 14 yards. Lanning did not specify the reasons for Dickey’s suspension.

Besides Gabriel, some of the other players who have moved on to the NFL include receiver Tez Johnson, who went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, tight end Terrance Ferguson, now with the Los Angeles Rams, defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, and offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr., who wound up with the Washington Commanders.

Other departures included edge Emar’rion Winston and safety Tyler Turner, who transferred to Baylor, cornerback Rodrick Pleasant transferred to UCLA and defensive lineman MyKeil Gardner transferred to Arizona State.

One big — as in 6-foot-8 and 300 pounds — addition to the Ducks is offensive tackle Isaiah World from Nevada. He's considered a potential first-round NFL draft pick. Also joining Oregon is safety Dillon Thieneman from Purdue.

Then there's junior running back Makhi Hughes, a transfer from Tulane who rushed for 2,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

Oregon opens the season at home on Aug. 30 against Montana State. The Ducks will host former Pac-12 rival Oregon State on Sept. 20. The next week, Oregon visits No. 2 Penn State in probably the marquee conference game of the season, given that a meeting with Ohio State isn't on the schedule. The Ducks host No. 20 Indiana on Oct. 11. They wrap up the season on Nov. 29 on the road against Washington.

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