The five burning questions of Oregon Football spring practice

Oregon opened spring practice with two workouts without pads, taking a pause for finals and spring break before resuming in April with 13 more workouts including the spring game on April 26 at Autzen Stadium at 1 p.m. PDT., broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

This spring Dan Lanning and his staff have to begin to address some burning questions. The 2025 season won't be a success unless they work for definitive answers in some specific areas. though Lanning has shown he's seldom without a vision, a battle plan and a theme for the Ducks development.

1. Who is the starter at quarterback?

The answer to this question is foremost on everyone's mind, but it isn't likely to come out of spring practice. Oregon wants to hold on to all of four of their talented QBs, and they need to simulate the pressure of competition well into August. Will Stein won't name a starter between Dante Moore, four-star redshirt sophomore Austin Novosad, 10.5 sprinter Luke Moga, or four-star true freshman Akili Smith Jr., all in camp this spring.

What Stein and Lanning hope to see is one guy who seizes the job, who makes the answer obvious by making plays in practice. On Day 2 Stein said, "They've all done a really good job so far of keeping the main thing the main thing," Stein said. "Just trying to grow each and every day and not trying to press. Any time there is this type of hyper quarterback competition, guys try to press ... I've just challenged them to run the offense."

2. Where is the leadership on the 2025 team?

After the first spring practice on March 13, Dan Lanning told the media, "We have to develop leadership on this team. You know, we're not returning a ton of experience. We're returning some really talented players. So it's about those guys stepping up, creating leadership, creating standards for our team.”

3. How do the Ducks replace four starters on the offensive line?

Oregon sent four senior starters to the NFL in Ajani Cornelius, Marcus Harper II, Nishad Strother and Josh Conerly, and Conerly is likely to go in the first round. Last year's o-line earned finalist honors for the Joe Moore Award, and over the last three seasons the Ducks have given up a TOTAL of 23 sacks. Washington surrendered 39 last year alone.

Replacing that kind of veteran talent won't be a quick fix, particularly in terms of the cohesion and communication they achieved, the trust they earned from their quarterbacks and running backs, the productivity and consistency they showed in a 13-1 season.

Overall, Oregon is ready to win now, so A'lique Terry has to combine old and new and get these guys up to speed by game five against Penn State in Happy Valley. He brought in Isaiah World, Alex Harkey and Emmanuel Pregnon in the transfer portal, three of the most highly rated transfers available. Center Iapani Laloulu is a rock in the middle, mobile, strong and dependable, a Rimington Award candidate. There's a terrific core of young talent in Douglas Utu, Ziyare Addison, Fox Crader, Gernorris Wilson, Demetri Manning. Out of these Terry has to find eight who ready to take snaps in the fall and move people off the ball in unison. Old hands Dave Iuli and Matthew Bedford are back to provide stability. The holes have to be there, and Moore/Novosad have to have time to throw. Nothing works unless the o-line finds its identity.

4. Can Oregon upgrade in the secondary?

Tosh Lupoi has said this team is short on Oregon experience, but they are blessed with length, speed and athleticism. Indeed, the Ducks have a dozen blue chip prospects in the secondary after losing their top six contributors from last year in terms of snaps, Tysheem Johnson, Nikko Reed, Jabbar Muhammad, Kobe Savage, Dontae Manning and Brandon Johnson.

Lupoi is right. The 2024 group while capable was largely comprised of journeymen who relied on savvy and preparation rather than raw talent, although it was eyebrow-raising to see the 40 times and jump numbers for Savage, Manning and Kam Alexander at Oregon Pro Day. The 2025 roster in the secondary is at another level athletically. Five-star freshman Na'eem Offord and Trey McNutt have already joined the program, full participants in spring drills. Dorian Brew of Conroe, Texas was a 10.75 sprinter and a Top 100 player.

The class that preceded them includes four-stars Jahlil Florence, Ify Obidegwu, Aaron Flowers and Peyton Woodyard. In addition, the Ducks are bringing in three veterans to set the standard. Safety Dillon Thieneman from Purdue is already in camp and standing out for his work ethic, study habits and leadership. The staff thinks he might emerge as the best player on the Oregon defense, a safety with the impact of Jevon Holland or Chad Cota. Cornerbacks Jadon Canady and Theran Johnson, of Ole Miss and Northwestern respectively, will join in summer.

The unit has a promising mix of experience and next-level potential, but it's up to secondary coach Chris Hampton to make them a unit and elevate their understanding of what the offense is trying to do.

5. What is the goal and the unifying idea for the 2025 team?

Lanning talks a lot of about the core values of his team and they don't change.

Those are terrific principles, but the key here is to see that they don't become merely buzzwords. It requires authentic buy-in from players and a commitment to each other, something bigger than themselves and their own NFL futures. As talented as Ohio State was in 2024, they were floundering until they got angry and found a purpose as they began their drive in the playoffs.

A lot is made of Oregon recruiting and the energy and innovation the Oregon staff pours into landing great talent, but what's undersold and underappreciated is the careful evaluations they make to getting the right players in terms of attitude and competitiveness, guys who will make their teammates better. They notice the little things, like how a player treats his parents on a recruiting visit.

Getting buy-in in a new season starts with choosing the right guys in the first place. Lanning wants leaders throughout the organization and in every room, a corps committed to making each other better.

In Makhi Hughes, Kenyon Sadiq, Evan Stewart, Laloulu, Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti, Bryce Boettcher and Thieneman, the Ducks have playmakers at every level, a tremendous core of leadership. It's hard to see 2025 as a fallback year.