They could have gone deeper, and a case can be made for a few others, but Oregon placed four in the Locked on College Football Top 100 for 2025. A similar list by PFF only included two Ducks.
According to LOCF:
33. Matayo Uiagalelei edge rusher
75.Kenyon Sadiq tight end
83. Bryce Boettcher, linebacker
94. Iapani Laloulu, center
It shows how much balance, depth and star power there is on the Oregon roster, because a list of the Top 50 players by PFF had Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 and Makhi Hughes at No. 37. Blake Brockermeyer of cbs.com ranked the Top 150 in the game; his list included Isaiah World at No. 15, Hughes 43, Uiagalelei 53, Laloulu 84, Evan Stewart (since ruled out with a torn patellar tendon) 100, Emmanuel Pregnon 131.
Three lists, nine different Ducks mentioned. Clearly this is a subjective exercise.
The first-ever Locked On College Football Top 100 Players list was unveiled, and the Ducks had three guys in the top 100! Matayo Uiagalelei (#33), Kenyon Sadiq (#75) and Bryce Boettccher (#83) both made the list.
— Locked on Ducks (@LockedOnDucks) August 1, 2025
Which players were the biggest snubs? pic.twitter.com/V6VjrBhQrZ
Watch lists and preseason awards are a staple of this time of the year, and it's a fun way to anticipate a new season that is now just 29 days away. What matters most is how well they play together, but it's encouraging that the Ducks have so many potential stars, all-conference players and draft picks, and these lists don't include freshmen and redshirt freshman, which comprises a big chunk of the talent for Dan Lanning.
In his career the coach is 25-0 against teams outside the Top 25, 10-6 against ranked teams. Four of those losses came against teams that won or appeared in the national championship game. Five came in his first two seasons as a head coach.
This season represents his biggest challenge yet. While the Ducks have this base of big-name, recognizable talent, so much of the roster and even the two-deep includes players in their first or second year. They'll have to be coached, taught to execute under pressure.
As Lanning often says, "Pressure is a privilege." Playing in big games against ranked opponents is a big part of why they came to Oregon.
The lists that matter most are the ones they make of the end of the year, and the one compiled by the NFL on draft day.
At ESPN, veteran college football writer Heather Dinich ranked "the 32 teams that can make the college football playoff." She ranks Oregon No. 6 in that rating.
About the Ducks Dinich writes, "This is still a talented playoff team, albeit with a vastly different composition than last season's 13-1 group." The Ducks' biggest challenges are road games to Penn State, Iowa and Washington. They'll have to avoid a clunker, an upset loss, an unexpected challenge by Indiana, Minnesota or USC.
A 10-2 record and making the playoffs is the bar of success. Does anyone expect the Ducks to go undefeated in the regular season two years in a row? They do have the talent to come close.
A deeper playoff run is only possible if Dante Moore (or Austin Novosad) emerges as an end of the season Top 100 player, and Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington duplicate the effectiveness of Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell, two NFL draft picks.