The Duck Report: A big August, a growing role

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The weight gain is just one of those things that gets looked at, noted and quickly moved on from as if it were expected.

Every fall camp, dozens of Oregon Ducks show up bigger, faster and stronger, showcasing how they’ve continued to perfect frames that are already in the top percentile.

Nasir Wyatt is one of those, a once-lanky — relatively speaking — linebacker who put on 20 pounds this offseason, 10 of those being muscle, to report to fall camp at an all-time high of 245 pounds.

“It’s been a journey,” said Wyatt, who flashed in limited action as a true freshman last season, finishing with 11 tackles, four for loss and three sacks. “I’m proud of where I’m at.”

Wyatt at Oregon’s media day on Monday. (Tyson Alger photo)

He likes the added strength while being able to maintain his “twitch.” He wouldn’t mind adding another 5-10 pounds as he continues his evolution.

The Ducks believe it’ll make him better on the football field, at a position where they really need it. It’s been good for everything, Wyatt said, except for his wardrobe.

“Like two months ago I had no more jeans,” he said. “I have to constantly change and buy sweats and shorts.”

He was asked by the author of The Duck Report if, like him, he saved any of the clothes he grew out of in college, holding out optimistic dreams of a slimmer future.

Nah.

“I just give it away to some teammates, one of the DBs — you know, that’s kind of skinnier.”

And that is definitely no longer Wyatt. Just ask his defensive coordinator, Chris Hampton, who got to see the sophomore version of the OLB for the first time as practice opened up this week.

“Wyatt looked like a different person compared to last year,” Hampton said. “He added a lot of mass.”

And fabric.

“To have that, ‘I got to buy more clothes,’” Wyatt said, “it’s kind of like an accomplishment.”

What’s in a name?

Iverson Hooks will tell you that he’s not a basketball guy, that it was his brother’s interest in the sport that led him to be named after two of the best scorers in NBA history: Iverson Jordan Hooks.

But Oregon’s new veteran wide receiver has a few things in common with Allen Iverson. They’re both undersized. They both have heart.

But after switching from quarterback to receiver, Hooks has learned that, unlike AI, he doesn’t need the ball in his hands on every play.

Under the Autzen lights

Kawika Rogers is in his fifth season with the Oregon Ducks.

I enjoyed this one.

Oregon senior offensive lineman Kawika Rogers is from Kauai, Hawaii.

My first job in journalism was on Kauai, Hawaii.

Rogers didn’t know this when I started grilling him at Monday’s media day, but I think he started to catch on when my questions got increasingly specific.

Such as asking about the endangered Newell’s shearwater birds that prevented Friday night football on the island.

Future Ducks shine at U20s

The women’s 5000 meters, World Athletics U20 Championships Oregon 26 at Hayward Field, Aug. 5, 2026. Credit: Brooke Taché / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

I’d like to give a hand to Owen Murray, Brooke Taché and Leo Hoffman for wading through the smoke this week to provide coverage throughout the World Athletics U20 Championships at Hayward Field.

Murray has the highlights from the first two days of the meet, which featured a pair of future Ducks showing off on the world stage.

Jaslene Massey medaled in the discus, while Mia Mireia Uusorg did the same in the heptathlon.

The Traffic Report

In this week’s podcast, Justin Myers and I take an annoyed look at the manufactured commotion over Dylan Raiola’s innocuous comments from Monday’s media day. Oregon’s backup quarterback is at a new school, in a new place and, when asked about the differences between Oregon and Nebraska, did as every transfer has before him: he praised his new school.

He praised the trees and the mountains and, yes, the football.

“It’s different. With coaches and players, we have a lot more talent than we did at Nebraska,” Raiola said. “I don’t say that to knock on them, but I think everybody will know that.”

Well, some people didn’t like that one. And we think it’s a bit absurd. We dive in below.

camera roll

Dante Moore is going to be very comfortable on the professional speaking circuit when his playing days are done.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I grew up in a town of less than 1,500 people. It’s just getting out to play, whether it’s just four kids playing one-on-one and just enjoying your time out there and getting under the lights.”
— Oregon defensive back Koi Perich when asked what football was like growing up in Minnesota.