Oregon Ducks Roster Spending Turns Heads in New Report

The college football world has changed considerably, and one of the biggest transformations is the allowed paying of players that started with name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and now also involves revenue sharing.

Entering the 2026 season, the No. 2 Oregon Ducks are reportedly one of the biggest spenders in the sport.

oregon ducks dan lanning nil spending roster cost ohio state buckeyes $40 million miami hurricanes texas longhorns — Jul 29, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Football head coach Dan Lanning speaks during Big Ten Media Days at Hilton Chicago. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oregon Ducks Spending Over $40 Million

According to a report from 247Sports' Chris Hummer and John Talty, the Ducks are among six teams in the country believed to be spending over $40 million on their roster. No. 1 Ohio State, No. 5 Miami, No. 11 LSU, No. 7 Texas, and No. 8 Texas A&M were the only other schools in the most expensive club, according to Hummer and Talty.

Getting exact and accurate numbers for every team across the country is a tall task, and so Hummer and Talty placed teams into ranges of $10 million, and all teams that have rosters reportedly over $40 million are all included in the top 12 of the preseason AP Top 25 Poll.

In the Big Ten, the "over $30 million club" included No. 6 Indiana, No. 16 Michigan, Nebraska, No. 14 USC, and Wisconsin.

Oregon will be facing off against USC, Ohio State, and Michigan during the season in what could be some of the bigger games of the season when determining the College Football Playoff seeding.

Which Oregon Ducks Are Most Expensive?

Quarterback Dante Moore turned down NFL money for another season in Eugene to hone is craft and develop, but he certainly isn't playing at Oregon for free. His NIL valuation per Rivals is $5 million, the fourth-highest in the country. That number is a projection of Moore's value with the combination of revenue-sharing deals, endorsement deals, and NIL collectives.

Moore is not the only Duck that decided to forgo the 2026 NFL Draft and return to Oregon, though, giving Ducks coach Dan Lanning and company a roster filled with valuable talent and experience.

Ducks outside linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei has an NIL valuation of $2 million, and he is followed by Oregon receiver Evan Stewart, defensive lineman Bear Alexander, and outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti at $1.5 million, per Rivals. All four of them could have departed in the 2026 NFL Draft but instead will play another season in Eugene.

In addition to Oregon's returning pieces, the Ducks were active players in the transfer portal. Safety Koi Perich has an NIL valuation of $2 million, and quarterback Dylan Raiola's NIL is valued at $500,000, according to Rivals. While Perich is expected to have an impact on the field for Oregon in 2026, Raiola is expected to serve as a backup quarterback for Moore.

Depth comes at a price, and the Ducks are seemingly not alone in paying it.

Meanwhile, Lanning and company have remained competitive on the recruiting trail, meaning some of the younger talent on Oregon's roster will also have a cost. For example, sophomore receiver Dakorien Moore has an NIL valuation of $750,000. Star sophomore cornerback Brandon Finney is one of the standouts on the Ducks defense, and his NIL valuation is $650,000.

The Ducks also added five-star talents in the 2026 recruiting class like offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho and wide receiver Jalen Lott.

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