In the last few seasons college football has been dominated by teams with a nucleus of elite players, preseason All-Americans and NFL first-round draft picks. Georgia in 2021 and 2022, Michigan in 2023 and Ohio State in 2024 all followed that formula.
The last few national champions have had 13-15 NFL draft picks.
It's not a revelation, but it does underscore the fact that the Oregon roster is built differently. The Ducks have good players everywhere, but they don't yet have the brand of college football superstars amassed by other playoff favorites. It's a roster built on value, culture and DNA traits rather than reputations; the five-star talent is young.
Oregon is an emerging power rather than an established one. The Ducks are built on quality and commitment everywhere rather than eye-popping big names.
The 2025 CBS Sports Preseason All-America Team is here 🚨
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) August 13, 2025
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It's a different mix than playoff squads of the recent past. The Ducks evaluated and built a balanced roster that should dominate most teams and match up decently with playoff teams, but going deep is a next-level challenge.
Consider a team like AP No. 2 Penn State, the Ducks' opponent on September 27 in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions dominate the CBS All-America team with four selections:
1st team running back Nicholas Singleton
1st tean offensive guard Olaivavega Ioane
2nd team center Nick Dawkins
1st team defensive tackle Zane Durant
In addition to these four, PSU has early draft picks and all-conference players Drew Allar at quarterback, thousand-yard rusher Kaytron Allen, edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton and linebacker Amare Campbell, who had 6.5 sacks at North Carolina last season. Junior cornerback A.J. Harris is a former five-star with a 40-inch vertical leap, five pass breakups in 2024.
James Franklin's best-ever squad closely follows the playoff model of Ohio State and Michigan, a base of elite talent that passed up the NFL draft and returned for a run at the title.
Defending champion Ohio State won't give it up easily. They are also well-represented on the CBS All-America squad:
1st team wide receiver Jeremiah Smith
2nd team tight end Max Klare
2nd team linebacker Sonny Styles
1st team safety Caleb Downs
The Big Ten as a whole is well-represented, with All-America talent scattered throughout the conference:
2nd team wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, Indiana
2nd team defensive tackle Mikail Kamara, Indiana
2nd team linebacker Gabe Jacas, Illinois
2nd team safety Koi Perich, Minnesota
This is not doom-and-gloom; it's merely to point out the unique challenge Oregon has in reaching the top of the heap. The Ducks have a lot of players on the next tier of college football talent, players that might earn mention on postseason all-conference and All-American teams: Kenyon Sadiq, Makhi Hughes, Dakorien Moore, Dante Moore, Iapani Laloulu, Emmanuel Pregnon, Bryce Boettcher, A'Mauri Washington, Bear Alexander, to name several.
As it is, three Ducks reach the Preseason All-America level on CBS:
2nd team offensive tackle Isaiah World
2nd team defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei
1st team safety Dillon Theineman
Chief of Staff Marshall Malchow and Dan Lanning have constructed a different kind of roster than other playoff contenders. It's deep and balanced, a bit like the old New England Patriot teams of the Tom Brady era, built on players who knew their jobs and embraced The Patriot Way. They played smart football; Brady set the example in preparation and work ethic.
In their core values and sense of purpose, the Ducks are built in a similar way. Notre Dame, Alabama, Texas and Georgia all boast multiple first-team All-Americans. If the Ducks reach the playoffs, they'll have to match up. Players like Hughes, Dakorien Moore and Sadiq will have to reach that All-American level, while Matayo Uiagalelei must take that next step as an intimidator and first-round draft pick.
In short, the Ducks have to go from good to great. They have to be undeniable.