5 things to watch as Oregon begins spring football practice

Basketball is still going — for at least one team here in Eugene — but let’s be real: It’s been two months since Oregon’s 2025 football season ended in the Peach Bowl, and it’s time to start shifting part of our focus back to the gridiron.

Oregon opens spring practice for the 2026 season Thursday, beginning the first of 15 practices that culminate in the annual spring game at Autzen Stadium on April 25.

It’s the fifth round of spring practices for Oregon coach Dan Lanning — the most by a UO coach since Mike Bellotti — and the Ducks will be hitting the field with a bunch of high-profile returners, a handful of early enrollees from another top-five recruiting class, new coordinators and the same sky-high expectations.

Oregon will ultimately be judged on how it plays this fall. But this week, the work begins.

Here are five things we’re keeping our eyes on.

How do the new coordinators gel?

With the departure of Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi, 2026 will mark the first year Oregon has had new offensive and defensive coordinators since Lanning was hired before the 2022 season.

In fact, it’ll be the first time in three years Lanning has had to replace either position.

It’s an abrupt change for Oregon — especially considering the number of veteran players, such as quarterback Dante Moore, who returned for the 2026 season. But it’s one the Ducks have tried to mitigate by emphasizing continuity.

Oregon promoted tight ends coach Drew Mehringer to the offensive coordinator role. Defensive backs coach Chris Hampton takes over the defense.

And while each will bring their own touch to their respective units, in a year of high expectations, familiarity might pay off.

“They have each done an unbelievable job of helping our student-athletes excel both on and off the field,” Lanning said upon their hirings. “We are thrilled to be able to promote them to our coordinator roles and maintain the momentum we have created as a program and a coaching staff.”

How much does Dylan Raiola practice?

The Ducks are as set at starting quarterback as they’ve been since … well, actually, Oregon’s had a pretty good run at the position. 

But like Bo Nix before him, Moore’s return after an excellent first season with the Ducks has Oregon in position to compete for a national championship in 2026. 

Moore will be a preseason Heisman favorite and is looking to improve on a first full year of starting that saw the quarterback pass for 3,565 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

But what if something happens and Moore is forced to miss time?

Oregon might have its most capable backup quarterback in years with the addition of Nebraska transfer Dylan Raiola. The now-junior started 22 games for the Cornhuskers over two seasons, tallying 4,819 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

He threw for 2,000 yards with 18 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2025 before his sophomore season ended with a broken fibula suffered against USC on Nov. 1.

Raiola has two seasons of eligibility remaining and a redshirt available. The expectation is that he’ll use that redshirt this season while Moore starts, then take over next year.

But if Moore gets hurt, Raiola is more than capable of stepping in — as long as he’s healthy. We’ll find out just how well that recovery is going this spring.

The running back hierarchy 

Oregon’s backfield wasn’t in a good place the last time we saw it, with a pileup of injuries and transfer portal defections limiting the Ducks in the Peach Bowl to fifth-stringer Jay Harris getting the start.

Harris is gone now. So, too, are Noah Whittington, Makhi Hughes and Jayden Limar.

The good news is Oregon knows it has two quality running backs returning in Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., a pair who combined for 1,323 yards and 15 touchdowns as true freshmen in 2025.

They also have help on the way. Oregon signed freshmen Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith, the No. 9 and No. 19 running backs in the 2026 class, respectively. The Ducks also landed Colorado transfer Simeon Price, a reserve last season for the Buffaloes.

While none of them is expected to knock the sophomore duo from the top of the depth chart, last season showed a team needs more than just two running backs.

The climb starts again

Last spring, Oregon didn’t appear to have many lingering effects from its devastating season-ending loss in the Rose Bowl.

Neither did Lanning when the Ducks opened practice.

“One thing I’ve said before — I’ve never been around a lot of Day 1s that weren’t great,” Lanning said. “But our guys did a good job there, playing with great energy and enthusiasm.”

Considering the Ducks are coming off another painful postseason loss — this time to Indiana in the Peach Bowl — Oregon is hoping that trend of Day 1 enthusiasm continues. 

Players and coaches were undoubtedly gutted when another playoff run ended in disappointing fashion. But college football doesn’t lend much time for wallowing in an all-consuming season. 

Lanning is big on messaging. He’s big on motivation. It’ll be interesting to see what the intensity looks like this spring as Oregon begins another season with massive expectations.

The depth behind the stars in the front seven

Nobody at Oregon is complaining about the first unit.

The Ducks saw the likes of A’mauri Washington, Matayo Uiagalelei, Bear Alexander and Teitum Tuioti announce their returns for their senior seasons.

It’s one of the best returning defensive cores in college football and one that, if it remains healthy, should win the Ducks plenty of games.

The tradeoff with those returns, though, was some depth losses.

Oregon lost four defensive linemen this offseason through the transfer portal. While none was a massive contributor in 2025, Terrance Green (who went to Alabama), Tionne Gray (Notre Dame) and Jericho Johnson (Cal) were solid rotational players who provided depth along the line.

Oregon responded by adding D’Antre Robinson (North Carolina) and Jerome Simmons (Louisiana-Monroe) through the portal, while also signing freshman Tony Cumberland, the No. 57 player nationally in the 2026 class.

Will any of them catch on early with the Ducks? Or does the returning depth — such as Aydin Breland and Matthew Johnson — have the early edge as spring begins?

We’ll start finding out this week.