The Oregon Ducks have a potentially fatal flaw that they need to find solutions for heading into the 2025 college football season
The Oregon Ducks are coming off of their finest season under head coach Dan Lanning, ending with a 13-1 overall record. That 2024 season ended with a disappointing playoff rematch against Ohio State, but Oregon was also able to win their first Big Ten championship. The trajectory for the program is in a strong place, […]
The Oregon Ducks are coming off of their finest season under head coach Dan Lanning, ending with a 13-1 overall record. That 2024 season ended with a disappointing playoff rematch against Ohio State, but Oregon was also able to win their first Big Ten championship. The trajectory for the program is in a strong place, at lest it seems.
The 2025 college football season is going to be one to watch closely with the Ducks while having to reload this roster in a major way. This offseason they said goodbye to quarterback Dillon Gabriel, running back Jordan James, wide receiver Tez Johnson, tight end Terrance Ferguson, offensive tackles Josh Conerly Jr., and Ajani Cornelius, defensive linemen Jordan Burch, Derrick Harmon, Ja’Maree Caldwell, and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad among several others.
Those defections on the defensive line specifically may be the most troubling for the team, and their potential fatal flaw heading into the 2025 season. Between Burch, Harmon, and Caldwell, the three combined for 105 total tackles, 27 tackles for loss, and 13.5 sacks. Between the three, that’s 940 pounds of playmaking furry. That’s a lot of production, and size lost up front in one offseason.
The Oregon defense was a very inconsistent unit against the run in 2024. They majored in creating negatives, something that group was built off of. After those three losses, there are a lot of questions this defensive line under Tony Tuioti. There is talent without questions, but the odds that they are able to seemingly replace Harmon and company seems very low.
Heading into the 2025 season, the defensive line has one major saving grace with returning star pass rusher Matayo Uiagalelei. The sophomore was impressive in year one as a starter, collecting 37 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. The 6-5, 265-pound defender is expected to anchor the unit next season.
There will be the obvious questions about whether Uiagalelei is ready to be the top guy in the room. He was flashy in 2024, but with Burch, Harmon, and Caldwell, all of the focus was not on him. With a less proven group around him, Uiagalelei is going have the target firmly on his back.
Uiagalelei is going to need someone to step forward, and ideally a couple. There is some optimism with younger players like A’Mauri Washington and Tionne Gray. It’s a talented group but Washington is projected to be a starter inside and only managed to total 10 tackles and two tackles for loss last season.
Oregon has been a team that has had little issue reloading their roster through the transfer portal under Coach Lanning. They did bring in one big named defensive lineman, but the name is quite a bit stronger than the actual play so far. Former Georgia and USC defensive tackle Bear Alexander has been living off of some flash plays, and a cool nickname over the last couple of seasons.
Alexander showed some flashes of his talent at Georgia in 2022, and some more in 2023 with the Trojans. 2024 was a disaster, and Alexander ended up shutting down the year after just four games to preserve a year of eligibility. Known as a bit of a head case, both on and off the field, it’s hard to be confident that Alexander will just fill the void created by the loss of Harmon.
The 2025 season will give a lot of insight into the overall health of the program under Coach Lanning. Programs are typically defined by their qualities on the offensive and defensive lines. The Ducks were an embarrassment of riches on the defensive front in 2024. How they replenish that group will tell a lot.
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