While the Oregon Ducks and head coach Dan Lanning swept the country and took some of the most talented players from the transfer portal, the Ducks' rivals to the north are still struggling to cobble together a roster with depth.
The Washington Huskies are just two years removed from their appearance in the National Championship game. However, over those two years, the Huskies lost their head coach and nearly every top-tier talent on their roster.
Now, under head coach Jedd Fisch, Washington is trying to rebuild – which it greatly struggled to do so in the 2024 season, finishing 6-7 overall.
Most recently, the Huskies signed former Texas wide receiver Johntay Cook II who entered the transfer portal before the postseason even began for the Longhorns. Now, Cook and the Huskies have already parted ways, just 48 hours after the wideout arrived on campus.
NEW: Texas transfer WR Johntay Cook and Washington have decided to part ways, @Dawgman247 reports.https://t.co/uVsdQ34uSp pic.twitter.com/rQ5ducLzx6
— On3 (@On3sports) January 15, 2025
The rivalry between Oregon and Washington is always a driving force, especially now that the two teams play in their final regular season matchup every year. Even when the Huskies struggle to find wins, like they did last season, the hatred between the former Pac-12 programs is always present.
Now that the two teams are in the Big Ten and the Ducks have already claimed a conference title, it seems the rivalry has an increasing gap in talent. Fisch is reportedly set to turn to the portal, once again, to try and fill the gaps that currently exist on his roster, especially at the wide receiver position.
Meanwhile, Lanning and the Ducks have earned commitments from top offensive players like former Florida State wideout Malik Benson and former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes – who will help fill in the holes left by players like Tez Johnson and Jordan James declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.
To put it simply, with Cook's lack of production at Texas (he didn't have a catch after the Horns' fifth game of their season) and his quick departure from Seattle, Lanning should most likely steer clear of the wideout, especially since the Ducks have a ton of talented receivers of their own.