The 6 unknowns for Oregon football heading into August camp

At Oregon Media Day Dan Lanning said, "More than anything I'm just ready to attack it and figure out what we're really great at, what we've got to improve at. That's the fun part for me is what problems do we get to solve."

It wouldn't be August camp (don't call it Fall Camp--it's 88 degrees out on Friday) without problems to solve. Certainly the Ducks have potential and solutions, but until they work it out over the 31 days until they take the field against Montana State, it's the great unknown.

1. Is Dante Moore ready to be a Big Ten starter and pilot a 10-win season?

Moore has arm talent and intelligence, but how improved is he after a full season in Will Stein's Celebrity Quarterback Rehab? He's served an apprenticeship under Dillon Gabriel. He's impressed in practice. He looked competent in the Spring Game. But how ready is he for the pressure of leading a Top Ten team into the playoffs?

Will he handle the blitz? Will he make good decisions when things break down? Has he learned to limit his big mistakes? How ready is he for the famed hostile environments of the Big Ten, trips to Penn State, Iowa and Washington? Is he prepared for the big moments when the Ducks need a drive or a play in a clutch situation?

There's simply no way to know until he's in the hot water of a big game or a big moment. All the clips of touchdown passes in practice don't tell a complete story.

Moore has been mentioned as a Heisman Trophy candidate, and he's been maligned (chiefly by trolling opposing fan bases) as a likely bust. Can he outduel Drew Allar, Mark Gronowski, Jaiden Maiava, and Demond Williams? We don't know.

Are Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington going to match the productivity of Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell?

It all starts in the trenches, and for the Oregon defense, that means Alexander and Caldwell have to prove adequate replacements for two tackles that played their way into the NFL draft, Harmon as a first-rounder to the Steelers.

Caldwell and Harmon were penetrators and run stuffers. Inside pressure kept quarterbacks at home and allowed Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti and Jordan Burch to combine for 24.5 sacks.

Alexander and Washington have the size at 6-3, 315 and 6-3, 320, but what the Ducks will be looking for in September is consistency and production, particularly when they take on that formidable running game at Penn State.

Can Ross Douglas craft a potent passing offense out of a young group of receivers?

Evan Stewart's summer injury was a devastating blow for the Oregon passing attack, a monumental problem to solve. Suddenly the Ducks are without their four top targets of last season, Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden and Terrance Ferguson competing for NFL jobs, Stewart out indefinitely with a torn patellar tendon.

In Kenyon Sadiq, Dakorien Moore and the rest, Douglas has a lot to work with in terms of speed, talent and pass-catching ability. But all of these guys, especially the group with limited game experience like Jurrion Dickey, Jeremiah McClellan, Kyler Kasper and Dillon Gresham, 1) have to earn their touches and 2) show they can execute on game day.

Gary Bryant Jr. and Malik Benson are veterans, but as of now, the Ducks don't have a proven go-to target. Justius Lowe has been promising in spot duty.

There's plenty of four- and five-star talent in the room, but Douglas and offensive coordinator Will Stein have to replace 3,000 yards of passing offense. With a new quarterback, finding reliable targets who can get open and make plays is critical to making the offense work.

Can the 2025 offensive line gel more quickly than the unit did last year?

In 2024 the Oregon offensive line looked unsettled and rudderless in the first two games of the season, then laid a giant egg in the Rose Bowl along with the rest of the team. A'lique Terry has three new starters from the transfer portal in Isaiah World, Emmanuel Pregnon and Alex Harkey, plus three of his returning guys in center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu, Dave Iuli and Matthew Bedford. He has to mold them into a unit.

He also has to develop a group of young linemen to take their place in the future, since World, Pregnon and Harkey are one and done, Bedford is a redshirt senior and Laloulu is aiming for the NFL.

Again, with a new quarterback, the o-line has to be the rock he can lean on. With an effective running game and solid protection, Moore is going to look a lot better.

Is Makhi Hughes fully ready for the jump to the Big Ten?

Hughes was a 2,700-yard rusher in two seasons in the Group of Five at Tulane, but can he carry the load against bigger, tougher defenses and more talented linebackers?

He's a superb pass blocker. He runs hard and breaks tackles. He has some burst but not elite, 80-yard -run speed. The Ducks are counting on Hughes to replace Jordan James and be the workhorse in a strong running back room, though Noah Whittington and Dink Riggs will push him for carries.

Hughes feels comfortable in Eugene and appears ready for the transition. Monday at Oregon Media Day he said,
“These guys these coaches, they're like family to me, the coaches always make sure you have what you need. We always hangout outside of football, it puts a smile on our face you know, it’s a good program.”

Can Dillon Thieneman captain a young secondary and be the glue that makes them a stout pass defense?

The Ducks brought in Thieneman to set the tone and be the rock in the Oregon secondary. He's a fly-to-the-football masher at deep safety, surrounded by a cast of talented but inexperienced kids, blue-chip potential stars in Na'eem Offord, Trey McNutt, Ify Obidegwu, Kingston Lopa, Aaron Flowers, Peyton Woodyard, Jahlil Florence and the rest.

Thieneman has the potential to be a coach on the field and elevate this unit, but how well will they mesh? The secondary had a rocky time in December and January. This group has more talent, but a shortage of experience. Secondary coach Chris Hampton and his three experienced additions from the transfer portal, Thieneman, Theran Johnson and Jadon Canady have to bring them up to speed quickly.

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