Oregon Ducks' Dan Lanning Addresses Transfer Portal Strategy Ahead Of Rose Bowl

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are preparing to face either the Ohio State Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. Lanning addressed the chaos of the transfer portal and recruiting, what his trip to New York with quarterback Dillon Gabriel was like and gave a sneak peek into Oregon's prep for the Buckeyes or Vols in the Rose Bowl.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning visits with players before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are preparing to face either the Ohio State Buckeyes or Tennessee Volunteers in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning spoke with the media with a hoarse voice on Wednesday. It's been a busy few weeks since winning the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis. The Ducks have four incoming players via transfer portal and have six players departing via transfer portal. Oregon also thrived in the early signing period for the 2025 recruiting class, currently with the No. 3 ranked class on 247Sports.

Lanning addressed the chaos of the transfer portal and recruiting, what his trip to New York with quarterback Dillon Gabriel was like and gave a sneak peek into Oregon's prep for the Buckeyes or Vols in the Rose Bowl.

Dec 7, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning runs out for warmups against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2024 Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images / Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Does Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi get enought credit for a top-15 defense?

LANNING: "I think Tosh and our entire defensive staff have done a phenomenal job. I also think our players probably deserve more credit than they've gotten, too. I think we have some really good players. But we don't really worry about what everybody else thinks. But obviously our defensive unit has done a good job. Our offensive unit has done a good job. Coach Lupoi has done a great job over there, along with the rest of those defensive coaches."

Will Oregon players who enter the transfer portal practice with the team and/or play in the Rose Bowl?

LANNING: "Yeah, those guys for us, most of them want to go find the next opportunity, right? It's hard to do both, right?"

How is the Oregon staff managing the chaos of the transfer portal and recruiting?

LANNING: "I think they're doing a good job. Yeah, I think, you know, we have a clear focus of what we're trying to accomplish. And, you know, like I've said before, that everybody has an assignment. Everybody has a job. They got to do their job."

What impresses Lanning most about Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel?

LANNING: "Repetition. You know what I mean? He holds himself to a high standard, but you see him constantly in practice throw a ball and then go through the routine of throwing the ball again on air, right, in his mind. But I think consistent, you know, preparation, you know, leads to some separation for him when it comes to where he's throwing the ball and the success he has."

Dec 14, 2024; New York, NY, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel poses for a photo during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Presentation. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

What impresses Lanning most about Oregon receiver Evan Stewart?

LANNING: "I think Evan's proven to be a really solid player for us. He's done a really good job. What I'm more impressed with is we challenged him early in the year to be able to block on the perimeter. He's done a really good job of that as well as a late and straining to create, you know, second level plays for our offense. But Evan's been really consistent, really proud of his effort."

What has the Oregon team been focused on since the Big Ten Championship?

LANNING: "We're kind of prepping for both. Really the first week we focused on us and did a really deep dive into us and who we are and what we've done well, what we can improve. And then really this week we're working on a little bit of both. Tennessee and Ohio State."

How does Oregon balance being aggressive or patient in the transfer portal?

LANNING: "I think it's always about understanding the needs of your team. What are your strengths? What do you feel like you're going to need moving forward? And then a lot of it's numbers as well. You might not know that you're going to be interested in a player, but then you lose a player and that's a roster spot that you want to make sure that you have filled on your team."

Nov 16, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) greets fans following the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

What makes Bryce Boettcher such a great representative for Eugene, Oregon?

LANNING: "Yeah, I think it starts there. It starts that this is his hometown, and he's really proud every day to go out there and wear that O, right? And being a guy that grew up coming to watch games, it means a little bit to him. And then really just...
The way he attacks the field every single day, regardless if it's a game or practice, this guy has a mentality when he steps on the field."

What makes Oregon's offensive coordinator Will Stein successful?

LANNING: "Adaptability probably starts there, but I think Will's done an outstanding job, and again, I think Will will be the first one to tell you that he does that with his offensive staff, right? We've got a great offensive staff around him that he pulls a lot of ideas from. I think he works really well with other people. I think he understands his players' strengths, and our offensive staff understands our players' strengths and how we can put him in a position to be successful."

What are his memories of Dillon Gabriel's Heisman Trophy Ceremony?

LANNING: "Well, I'm really excited that Dillon got to be a part of that opportunity. My biggest observations are I hate traffic. To go spend an hour and a half to travel eight miles is insane to me. But what an awesome event, first-class event. And Dillon's certainly deserving of that, so I'm glad he got to be a part of that."

How could the Rose Bowl create a sort-of home field advantage for the Ducks?

LANNING: "I certainly think there's an advantage right now for our fans to be able to hop on opportunities wherever those tickets may come from to be able to get as many of them as possible so we can fill up that stadium and make it feel like a home game. There's other teams that don't know if they're going to be there or not. So it's our chance to take advantage of as many of those seats as possible and certainly could create an advantage for us in the game if we're able to attack that."

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How has Dillon Gabriel been so successful this season?

LANNING: "I think ultimately the stage is never too big for Dylan, right? He's shown up big and pressure moments for us. Um, I think he holds himself again to a higher standard than a lot of other people do. And, you know, he has high expectation for himself, but when you can stay that composed and pressure situations, you know, uh, and have success like he's had, you know, it kind of illustrates it for itself, right? He's just been really good in those moments."

What has been the biggest advantage of having the first-round bye in the College Football Playoff?

LANNING: "Yeah, recovery. It's been a big piece. We've been able to kind of distribute our practices a little bit differently than we would during a normal game week. More of like a three-day on, day off model. More recoveries and lifts. You know, opportunities to take advantage of the weight room as well. And then just really studying ourselves. You know, you can do a lot deeper dive when you have a little bit more time."

Oregon and Ohio State/Tennessee will kickoff on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 2 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.

If Oregon wins that game, it would advance to the Semifinals in Arlington, Texas, to play the winner of Arizona State vs. Texas/Clemson at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

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