Ducks Digest

Oregon Football Ranked: Transfer Additions Boost College Football Playoff Hopes

The Oregon Ducks football team is firmly in the Top-5 teams expected to contend in the College Football Playoff in 2024.

Bri Amaranthus

Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart attempts to avoid defensive back Solomon Davis during practice
Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart attempts to avoid defensive back Solomon Davis during practice / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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The Oregon Ducks football team is firmly in the top-five teams expected to contend in the college football playoff in the 2024 season. In ESPN's post-spring top-25 rankings, Oregon lands at No. 4. The Ducks are the second-highest ranked team in the Big Ten conference, trailing only No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes.

The No. 1 ranked team is the Georgia Bulldogs, Oregon coach Dan Lanning's former team. Rounding out the top-five is No. 3 Texas Longhorns and No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Liberty Flames
Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning against the Liberty Flames / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 Ducks have just as good a chance as any to become the best team in college football. In an exclusive interview with Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson, the senior revealed that coach Lanning's practices are as competitive as a "National Championship game."

"It's so competitive (at practice)," Johnson told Oregon Sports Illustrated’s Bri Amaranthus. "You would think we're out there in a national championship game playing against whoever - we're so intense at practice."

"Everybody's competing - From the coaches, to the players to the training staff... Everybody is competing to be the best that they can be." Johnson told Amaranthus.

Oregon's transfer class is ranked as second-best in the nation, boosting the Ducks roster as they head into their inaugural Big Ten season. The Ducks transfer class of 14 highly-touted players is the best in the Big Ten and it’s not close.

Oregon's transfers include: Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma, former five-star receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M, and cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, who helped Washington win the Pac-12 conference and reach the College Football Playoff title game last year. They also landed another talented quarterback, Dante Moore, a former five-star recruit from UCLA. 

Less than 100 days until the 2024 college football season kicks off and the Ducks have a chance to prove that the rankings are the real deal.

Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart attempts to avoid defensive back Solomon Davis during practice
Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart attempts to avoid defensive back Solomon Davis during practice / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA
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Bri Amaranthus
BRI AMARANTHUS

Bri Amaranthus is an Emmy-winning sports reporter with over 12 years of experience in television, radio, podcasting, and digital sports journalism. She has been with Sports Illustrated for four years, providing breaking news, exclusive interviews, and analysis on the NFL, college sports, and the NBA. Prior to joining SI, Bri hosted NBC Sports Northwest's prime-time television show, where she also served as the Oregon beat reporter and created content covering both the NBA and college sports. Throughout her career, Bri has achieved significant milestones, including covering major events like the NBA Finals, NFL playoffs, College Football Playoff, NCAA Basketball Tournament, NFL Draft, and the NFL Combine. She earned a D1 scholarship to play softball at the University of San Diego and won two state softball titles in high school in Oregon. In addition to her Emmy win for NBC's All-Star Coach special, she has received multiple Emmy nominations, highlighting her dedication and talent in sports journalism.

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