Deluge of transfer portal entries a challenge to Oregon's depth

Dan Lanning may have to change the way the Ducks practice.

While there's been tremendous news today as Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti announced returns for 2026, joining Bear Alexander as A'Mauri Washington hinted at one, a flurry of announcements to enter the portal threatens to eradicate Oregon's depth.

Blake Purchase, Xadavien Sims, Jericho Johnson, Ashton Porter and Cooper Perry all announced plans to enter the Transfer Portal Sunday. That puts the total of outgoing transfers at 23, in line with other top programs as reserve players seek an opportunity to play and get paid, but a challenge to the program's culture and depth.

A major coaching challenge in an era no one wants to be on the bench

The bigger news is the veteran players who have stayed, and that indicates a strategy geared toward retention, a smart strategy that reflects the trend in college football. Ohio State, Michigan and now Indiana made their national title bids with a core of veteran players operating at a high level, fourth, fifth and sixth-year players with NFL talent.

In keeping together that incredible defensive line of Uiagalelei, Tuioti, Alexander and (probably) Washington, the Ducks have the nucleus of one of the most intimidating defenses in the game. But they're losing a lot of beef in the second and third units on the defensive line, numbers they'll have account for in the portal and acclimate to the culture.

Winning football takes depth, but on every successful team, the backups want to leave for their shot at an NIL payday and the opportunity to play. It'll be a constant upheaval until the sport introduces the idea of multi-year contracts and some kind of structure.

Ultimately, Dan Lanning will use all the chaos to his advantage, He and Marshall Malchow who fit the system and fill roles. But in the meantime, there will be a frenzy of updates, developments and roster changes, on a scale fans have never seen before.

And another one: