Oregon football: Ducks’ defense among nation’s elite in EA Sports College Football 25 rankings

The 2024 Oregon Ducks football season keeps getting closer and closer, but that’s not the only thing that Oregon football fans are excited about. Anticipation continues to build for the release of EA Sports College Football 25.

And as that anticipation continues to build, college football fans and analysts alike are taking a close look at every detail of the long-awaited college football video game’s team ratings. That includes the defensive side of the ball.

In a relatively unsurprising development (given the way that Oregon football’s Dan Lanning recruits to Eugene), the Ducks’ defense has secured a highly rated spot in EA Sports’ preseason Top 25 defensive power rankings.

Oregon football: Ducks' defense snags No. 3 spot in preseason Top 25 rankings

Lanning’s defense isn’t the best in the country, but it sure is a highly respected one. There’s a ton of talent on that side of the ball for the Oregon football team and as a result, the Oregon Ducks’ defense has claimed the No. 3 spot in EA Sports' preseason defensive power rankings. 

That places the Ducks in pretty elite company. The Oregon defense is trailing only perennial powerhouses Ohio State and Georgia while also being just above the likes of Alabama and Clemson. That lofty ranking speaks volumes about what is expected for Oregon’s defense this season and also speaks highly about the way Lanning and the Oregon football coaching staff have assembled talent in Eugene.

EA Sports top 25 defensive rankings 

Here’s what the top 25 looks like for the defensive side of things (according to EA Sports) heading into the 2024 Oregon football season:

1. Ohio State Buckeyes - 96 OVR
2. Georgia Bulldogs - 94 OVR
3. Oregon Ducks - 90 OVR
4. Alabama Crimson Tide - 90 OVR
5. Clemson Tigers - 90 OVR
6. Notre Dame Fighting Irish - 90 OVR
7. Michigan Wolverines - 90 OVR
8. Texas Longhorns - 88 OVR
9. Penn State Nittany Lions - 88 OVR
10. Utah Utes - 88 OVR
11. Florida State Seminoles - 88 OVR
12. Oklahoma Sooners - 88 OVR
13. Iowa Hawkeyes - 88 OVR
14. Virginia Tech Hokies - 86 OVR
15. Wisconsin Badgers - 86 OVR
16. USC Trojans - 86 OVR
17. Auburn Tigers - 86 OVR
18. LSU Tigers - 84 OVR
19. Texas A&M Aggies - 84 OVR
20. Colorado Buffaloes - 84 OVR
21. Oklahoma State Cowboys - 84 OVR
22. Louisville Cardinals - 84 OVR
23. North Carolina Tar Heels - 84 OVR
24. Kansas State Wildcats - 84 OVR
25. Florida Gators - 84 OVR

For college football in general, this sort of ranking is mostly just a topic of discussion to help us get to the 2024 college football season. But, well, all things considered, this looks really good for Lanning and the Oregon Ducks.