Ducks Digest

Ranking Oregon Ducks Nike Uniforms: Best In College Football 2024?

With the regular season behind them, the No. 1 Oregon Ducks finished with a historic 13-0 record and a playoff berth. However, another historic part of their season was in the uniforms they wore, dubbed "Generation O." So, which Nike combination faired the best for the flock?

Ally Osborne

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel hands off the ball to running back Jordan James during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel hands off the ball to running back Jordan James during the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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3. "Fly Era" Original vs. Ohio State

Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. ohio state buckeyes / oregon football twitter/x
Oregon Ducks uniforms vs. ohio state buckeyes / oregon football twitter/x / Credit: @goducks on "X" (formerly Twitter)

Modeled by senior running back and ground game stand-out Jordan James, the “Fly Era” black uniform sports a unique shoulder pad combination of carbon fiber patterned wings and steel plating, alluding to the generations of Oregon uniforms. The “Fly Era” has detailing of white and green throughout, but predominantly keeps an inky black. With silver wings on the sides, the matte helmet sports a black base.

In an interview with Oregon Duck on Sports Illustrated and KOIN 6 Sports reporter Ally Osborne, the designers behind the “Fly Era” and the “Generation O” uniform line, Todd Van Horne and Quinn Van Horne of Van Horne Designs, dove into the creation of the “Fly Era.”

“This one was a fun one,” said Quinn Van Horne. “The Fly Era jersey. The players have been talking [about this]. And you know, all the ideas come back from the players and that’s really what ‘Generation O’ is meant to encapsulate. There’s been so many decades of player input on these jerseys and finding unique pieces.”

The “Fly Era” is truly an ode to the history of Oregon Football. In the announcement for the uniform during the pre-season, the “Black Mamba” himself former Oregon wide receiver De’Anthony Thomas presented the combination with linebacker Jeffrey Bassa. According to the Van Hornes, every part of this uniform has influences from Oregon athletes.

“The diamond plate was inspired by a former player who liked the attitude of the heavy duty machinery and trucking and the wings were inspired by other players in ways. This was a fun way of - when we met with the Oregon players - we talked about ‘hey, we would love to find a way to honor all of these amazing eras of Oregon Football that has led to where we are today,” Quinn Van Horne said.

“Each little piece tells a story,” Todd Van Horne said. “I think that story makes up a powerful narrative at the end and I think that when they take the field, they’re representing something that’s bigger than themselves and that’s really neat.”

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Ally Osborne
ALLY OSBORNE

A born and raised Oregonian, Ally was raised going up and down the steps of Autzen Stadium. Ally graduated from the University of Oregon's School of Journalism and Communications in 2021. She currently works at KOIN 6 and Portland's CW in Portland, Oregon where she hosts the lifestyle program "Everyday Northwest" and reports for the KOIN Sports team. She's also a graphic designer in her free time, with several of her works created for Oregon athletes.

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