Two Oregon Ducks labeled as breakout candidates in 2025 season by national college football analyst
Oregon is going to be running out a new-look offense in 2025, but Ducks fans shouldn't think of that as a bad thing. In a new article on On3, Ari Wasserman listed 10 potential breakout college football players for the 2025 season, and in his ten players, there are two Ducks that Oregon fans should be […]
Oregon is going to be running out a new-look offense in 2025, but Ducks fans shouldn't think of that as a bad thing.
In a new article on On3, Ari Wasserman listed 10 potential breakout college football players for the 2025 season, and in his ten players, there are two Ducks that Oregon fans should be very excited about.
Makhi Hughes, running back
Here's what Wasserman had to say about Oregon's new running back:
A day after Oregon lost leading rusher Jordan James to the NFL Draft, the Ducks landed Tulane transfer Hughes. If you’re not a big consumer of Group of 5 football, Hughes finished ninth among FBS running backs with 1,401 rushing yards. He also scored 17 total touchdowns. He rushed for more yards than any running back returning to college football in 2025. One of the most impactful players in this year’s portal cycle, Hughes joins a loaded Oregon offense that figures to be every bit as explosive as they’ve been under Dan Lanning. He’s going to have a monster season.
The Oregon Ducks were active in the transfer portal, and no player was potentially more impactful than former-Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, the top running back available in the portal. Fresh off a 1,401 rushing yards and 17 touchdown season, Hughes is an instant-impact player that will be the lead back after Jordan James' departure to the NFL. For as good as James was last season, Hughes' explosiveness could have him set to put up even better numbers than James did last year.
Dante Moore, quarterback
Here's what Wasserman said about Oregon's new starting quarterback Dante Moore:
There are some question marks as it pertains to whether Moore is ever going to reach his ceiling after being a five-star prospect in the 2023 cycle. That’s what happens to any big-time player who transfers. Moore initially signed with UCLA and played quite a bit as a true freshman before transferring to Oregon despite knowing he wouldn’t be the starter in Eugene immediately. Some viewed that as a mature decision you don’t usually see from players in Moore’s position. Now the presumed starter at Oregon now that Dillon Gabriel’s time is up, Moore has a chance to be the player his recruiting profile promised after developing behind the scenes for a year.
Moore was an elite recruit coming out of high school, and after making the decision to sit and learn in a system that has been incredibly friendly to quarterbacks in recent years with Will Stein at the helm, he's poised to take over.
I keep coming back to a quote from NFL-bound wide receiver Tez Johnson, who was asked about Moore ahead of the Rose Bowl. "He'll be a Heisman finalist next year, 100%," Johnson said. "It’s something you haven’t seen yet, that boy can throw a ball like no other. I’ve never seen nothing like it.” This coming from a wide receiver that literally grew up with Bo Nix, and spent last year with Dillon Gabriel.
Dante Moore and Makhi Hughes are poised to step into the large shoes that they have to fill, and there's plenty of hype around the two. The two have the potential to form an incredibly dynamic duo that will give Oregon the chance to keep the foot on the gas as they chase a national championship.
Dan Lanning and the Ducks have a chance to land the No. 1 and No. 2 player in the 2026 recruiting class
Lanning is trying to pull off something incredible
Follow along all year for more Oregon Ducks coverage on A to Z Sports. You can find me on Bluesky @jonhelmkamp.bsky.social, as well as follow our main page @AtoZSports.bsky.social for all the latest news.
