The 5 highest-impact newcomers for Oregon football 2025

1. Dillon Thieneman

The 6-0, 207 safety from Westfield, Indiana and transfer from Purdue will emerge as the leader and playmaker on the new Oregon defense, a fiery, intense player who piled up 210 tackles and six interceptions in two seasons with the Boilermakers.

Coaches rave about his NFL work habits. After Oregon's first practice on March 13 Dan Lanning met the media and said, “He’s infatuated with the extra work. There's probably not a day that goes by that he’s not in the weight room, getting bonus work, doing extra rehab, getting extra film. His intelligence, all those things are really picking up, you know, establishing some standards for the DB group and how they're going to operate.”

Two days later Tosh Lupoi made the point that the best team leaders are lead by example guys, players who show rather than fill the air with a lot of talk. Thieneman is that guy for the Oregon secondary, a little like Roy Kent in his prime: "He's here, he's there, he's everywhere. Dillon Thieneman."

The film study, the work habits and the football acumen is going to make Thieneman a monster patrolling the secondary for the Ducks. He will set the tone for a young group and mold them into an on-field unit.

Thieneman left Purdue reluctantly. His two brothers played there. His father graduated from Purdue. He was a freshman All-American in 2023 and the No. 1 safety in the portal. He was a 4.0 student in engineering. Boilermaker safeties coach Ken O'Brien told Tom Dienhart of GoldandBlack.com, “I knew he was going to be a special player just based on how he carries himself, his character, his work ethic, what he pours into his craft every single day on and off the field. You never envision exactly where a young man will be at his freshman year or even his career as far as being an All-American. But I think it’s just a testimony to what he’s about from a character standpoint."

At Oregon, Thieneman is going to fill a role that will remind Duck fans of Anthony Newman, Chad Cota, John Boyett and Jevon Holland. The Captain. The eraser. The guy who gets the defense off the field.

Impact Grade: A

2. Makhi Hughes

A transfer from Tulane, Hughes is a bell cow running back, as tough and hard-running as any back in college football. In two seasons he's totaled 2,779 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns, but what's more impressive is that 1,982 of those yards came after contact.

Hughes is a baller, a perfect running back for the Oregon system in the mold of Bucky Irving and Jordan James, compact, strong, with good speed. After the 5-11, 209 redshirt junior from Birmingham, Alabama rushed for a career-high195 yards on 30 carries versus North Texas last fall, Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall said,

" "He is a beast. He’s just an absolute stud. He’s a workhorse. He just chews yards up and is physical and plays the game the right way. Everybody on our team watches him play and is just in awe of him he plays because he’s so physical and tough.”"

Jon Sumrall, Tulane Head Coach

Impact Grade: A

3. Dakorien Moore

Moore is the highest-rated wide receiver the Ducks have ever recruited, a player scouts think will have a first-year impact to rival Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State or Ryan Williams of Alabama. He has 10.4 speed in the 100 meters and hands, body control and route-running skills that are simply stunning.

His ability to get open, make defenders miss and come down with the ball in tight spaces is other worldly sometimes. There was this catch in the Polynesian Bowl All-Star game in January:

At Duncanville High School Moore won two Texas State 6A championships and narrowly missed a third. For his prep career he amassed 204 catches for 4,113 yards and 48 TDs, averaging 20.2 yards per catch. In the 2025 recruiting class he's the No. 1 receiver and the No. 9 prospect in the country, highly likely to play early and have a memorable career as a Duck.

Impact Grade: A

4. Emmanuel Pregnon

A 6-5, 320 guard who transferred from USC, Pregnon has 35 college starts as an interior offensive lineman in two seasons with the Trojans, one full season at Wyoming preceded by a redshirt year and the noncounting Covid year.

Last season on an SC line that struggled for consistency in a 7-6 season, Pregnon led the entire offense with 882 snaps and a PFF passing grade of 73.3. He's allowed zero sacks in two years and in 2024 he committed just one penalty.

For a rebuilding offensive line, acquiring a veteran with the experience and consistency Pregnon has is an absolute coup. He's powerful, reliable, durable, everything you want in a lead blocker and pass protector, the left guard Hughes and Dante Moore need to ignite the offense. Alongside center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu he gives the Ducks the punch they need in the inside running game and two linchpins for a secure pocket. Add to that, Hughes is a devastating blocker in pass protection as well-- the Ducks will be able to neutralize and exploit the blitz, giving Moore opportunities for big plays.

Impact Grade: A

5. Isaiah World

World comes highly touted, a 5-star transfer from Nevada and the No. 1 transfer prospect and No. 1 offensive tackle in the portal according to 247Sports.

The question with him is whether A'lique Terry and Cutter Leftwich can coach up his technique for the difficult transition from the Mountain West to matching up with the best edge rushers in the Big Ten and the college football playoff. Left tackle on a top ten team is a crucible, and he's replacing one of the best in the game in Josh Conerly.

Impact Grade: B-

Other potential high-impact newcomers and redshirts: Aaron Flowers, Na'eem Offord, Trey McNutt, Kingston Lopa, Ify Obidegwu, Jeremiah McClellan, Jabari Johnson, Da'Juan Riggs, Peyton Woodyard, Brayden Platt, Kamar Mothudi, Blake Purchase, Elijah Rushing, Xadavien Sims.

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