Before November even arrives, the Oregon Ducks' hopes of making the College Football Playoff are seemingly gone as Saturday's loss to Illinois handed the team a 3rd loss. The season started with a ton of excitement with Dante Moore and several other stars returning for one more season, but injuries and coaching struggles have derailed a promising season. Chaos around the country may keep Oregon in conversations, but at this point the CFP is an afterthought.
As a chance to win a National Championship has seemingly been wasted, it's time to start looking toward the 2027 season for Dan Lanning and the staff. While Oregon doesn't want to lose games, starting to play underclassmen, and other promising players can start to answer some questions about the roster. The Ducks don't have to give up on the season, but starting to evaluate potential building blocks could lay out the blueprint for Oregon when the offseason arrives.
5 Oregon Ducks who should start to play moving forward
Akili Smith Jr. - Quarterback
Unless Dante Moore returns for next season, Oregon is most likely going to have to go shopping for a quarterback in the Transfer Portal this offseason, as the options on the roster have failed. Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas can't be the starter next season, and with their struggles, it may be time to dig deeper down the depth chart. Akili Smith Jr. flashed his ability against Portland State, and it may be worth seeing what he's capable of for the rest of the season.
Jett Washington and Trey McNutt - Safety
Safety was supposed to be one of the strengths of the Oregon roster, but the Ducks have gotten abysmal play out of Koi Perich and Aaron Flowers before his season-ending injury. Each week there's repeated mistakes made by the veteran safeties, and at this point you might as well let younger players make the same mistakes and develop for the future. Both Jett Washington and Trey McNutt are former 5-star recruits, and should get the chance to prove if they're building blocks to count on next season.
Immanuel Iheanacho - Offensive Tackle
The Oregon offensive line has been a revolving door as A'lique Terry continues to look for answers out of a room that's been a massive disappointment. Oregon is going to have to find answers on the offensive line for the rest of the way, and determine who's worth counting on next season. The Ducks just signed Immanuel Iheanacho as one of the top offensive tackles in the country, and getting him experience will only help prove if he's ready to be a starter next season.
Brandon Smith - Running Back
Over the last few weeks, for all the offensive struggles, one of the lone bright spots has been the play of freshman running back Brandon Smith. Each week, Smith comes into the game and provides spark plays in the rushing attack, helping create slight positives. Moving forward, the Ducks should start to increase Smith's snap count as he looks like a big-play threat out of the backfield.
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