The Oregon Ducks are coming into the 2026 college football season with a massive target on their backs, as many are labeling this group as the favorite to win the National Championship. Dan Lanning and the coaching staff have put together arguably the most talented roster in the Country, and with all the pieces aligning perfectly, it feels like a now or never season for the program.
When most people talk about Oregon's chances at winning it all, the conversation starts with the offense, and that's not wrong. Dante Moore returns as arguably the best quarterback in the Country, and having a player of that caliber at the most important position is a major advantage. While the Ducks offense has a chance to be special, when you look at the other side of the ball, being a special unit seems like the bare minimum.
Oregon dominates Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year voting
In the build up to the 2026 college football season, analysts are making their predictions for the Playoff, National Championship, and various positional awards. In Cleveland.com's preseason poll for the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten, Oregon had 4 of the top 5 finishers with 5 players receiving votes.
_________ is your pick to win B1G DPOY? pic.twitter.com/P9SaMWDbox
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 12, 2026
Minnesota's Anthony Smith won the voting with 26 total votes, but when you look at how the Ducks finished, it's incredibly exciting. Branon Finney Jr and Teitum Tuioti led the conference with 6 1st place votes, while A'Mauri Washington received 5 1st place votes, and Koi Perich received 4, all of which were more than Smith's 2 1st place votes.
While none of the Ducks techincally won the poll, Oregon as a whole is the clear winner when you look at the big picture. Oregon has 4 players that look like front runners to be the best defender in the conference, and that's before you account for Matayo Uiagalelei who received 7 total votes as well as potential breakout candidates on defense.
This season, Oregon has a chance to field a truly special defense, and it's arguably the biggest reason the Ducks are one of the National Championship favorites. The roster has incredible depth and two units capable of being the Nation's best, and with that level of talent, the path to finally winning a National Championship is much easier to navigate.
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