At fall camp in 2025 former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi talked about the radical makeover underway in the Duck secondary.
Eight months before, the unit got shelled by Ohio State's trio of NFL receivers at the Rose Bowl. "Having five absolutely amazing DBs last season that played their butt off and the tallest guy being 5’10 1/4 and can’t respect more what they did for us. But certainly our system is built around guys with length and of course speed and then short-area quickness and a physical tackler. That’s what we’re looking for," Lupoi said,
Indeed, the Duck secondary in the first three seasons of the Lanning era was manned by overachievers with the exception of lockdown first-round draft pick Christian Gonzalez, a transfer from Colorado. In Pasadena on New Year's Day 2025 the Ducks started:
2025 Rose Bowl starting secondary
Nikko Reed 5-10 180 3-star
Donte Manning 5-10 190 5-star
Kobe Savage 5-11, 205 3-star
Tysheem Johnson 5-10, 200 4-star
Jabbar Muhammad 5-10, 185 3-star
A unit that battled, certainly, and dominated in the regular season, but one that relied more on savvy and tenacity than raw talent. Steadily since then Chris Hampton and Dan Lanning have engineered a growth in athleticism, a significant upgrade in the traits and matchup capabilities in the unit.
Yesterday's double-Duck Wednesday, featuring commitments by 6-3 Bishop Gorman cornerback Hayden Stepp and 6-2.5 cornerback Tae Walden, two pass defenders with length and speed, continues that upgrade in a significant way.
Consideer Oregon's last three DB classes, with their ratings from the 247Sports Composite:
2027
Hayden Stepp 6-3.5 185 .979
Semaj Stanford 5-11, 180 .973
Tae Walden 6-2.5 165 .973
Josiah Molden 6-0, 175 .916
Malakai Taufoou 6-2, 200 .892
2026
Jett Washington 6-5, 215 98
Devin Jackson 6-1.5, 200 95
Davon Benjamin 5-11.5, 180 94
Azel Banag 5-11.5 170 92
Xavier Lherisse 5-10, 185 91
Trevon Watson 5-11, 185 84
2025
Na'eem Offord 6-1, 185 98 No. 3 CB
Brandon Finney 6-2 185 98 No. 8 CB
Trey McNutt 6-0, 180 96, No. 4 S
Dorian Brew 6-0, 200 95 No.. 95 No. 12 CB
Steadily the Ducks have gotten longer and twitchier. Filling the roster with elite athletes like these ramps up the competition in practice. Those battles between premier wide receivers and sticky defenders make every day a preparation for the big games critics say Dan Lanning never wins.
That's because it's only a big game if he loses. In January the Ducks shut out No. 4 Texas Tech's potent offense at the Orange Bowl, and freshman cornerback Brandon Finney was the defensive MVP with a pair of interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Is Brandon Finney Jr the best CB in the country? 🤔🦆 pic.twitter.com/qi1tSdto2z
— The EverythingU (@everythinguco) July 2, 2026
The Ducks struggled again in the College Football Playoff semifinal against national champion Indiana, losing 56-22, but that loss was more about a woeful start by the Oregon offense rather than breakdowns by the defense. The Hoosiers cashed in a Pick Six on the opening play, then had possessions that began at the Oregon 3, 19, and 4-yard line.
That added up to another blowout loss to the eventual national champion, the third of Lanning's career, which months later can only be used as motivation for improvement. Stacking talent in the secondary is the first step to getting over that playoff hump.
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