Redshirts are mythical, and the Ducks have five running backs who are better. They beat out Makhi Hughes out in fall camp and they've performed better over a 5-0 start.
At his morning press availability Wednesday Dan Lanning announced that Tulane transfer running back Makhi Hughes has asked to redshirt for 2025 after not traveling to Oregon's 30-24 win at the White Out.
"He's asked to redshirt, and we honored that opportunity for him," Lanning said, prompted by a question from Oregonian beat writer James Crepea.
The coach did not elaborate, and reports from Matt Zenitz and Crepea indicated that the 5-11, 210-pound junior has not yet announced a decision to transfer.
A career 2,779-yard rusher with the Green Wave, he was sixth on the team in carries through five games with 17, buried deeper and deeper on the depth chart with the emergence of freshman Dierre Hill and Jordon Davison, plus veterans Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar, Jay Harris and Dink Riggs.
Hill and Limar have rushed for 270 and 239 yards this season, Hill averaging an astounding 10.4 yards a carry. Despite missing two games Whittington has broken loose for 21 carries for 184 yards, 8.8 per carry, with long runs of 59 and 39 yards.
Hughes has been limited to 17 carries for 70 yards, 4.1 YPC, hampered by a lack of top-end speed and still working on mastering the playbook..
If he continues to practice with the team he could be activated at any time during the season. No one wears a redshirt; it remains metaphorical until the end of the regular season. Postseason games don't count against redshirt status.
Players can participate in up to four games and still preserve a year of eligibility. Hughes appeared in Oregon's first four, breaking off a 19-yard run against Oregon State.
The simple explanation is that the Ducks have a stable of running backs who are pulling for each other, playing and practicing better with a better handle on the playbook. His absence wasn't a factor in a tough road game at Penn State.
The one overriding concern is that five-star freshman cornerback Na'eem Offord is Makhi's brother. The two originally came to Oregon to play together. It'd be a significantly greater loss if both transferred. Offord's played in all five games so far this season, racking up eight tackles in a reserve role behind Brandon Finney and Ify Obidegwu.
Oregon has rushed for 239 yards a game in 2025, 176 on the road at Penn State against a stout defensive line. In Hill, Whittington, Davison, Limar, Riggs and Harris they have a terrific variety of styles and skills and a solid offensive line in front of them.
Most everyone thought Hughes was destined to be RB-1 in the offseason. These other guys proved to be a better fit for the culture and the offense on a team with realistic goals of competing for a national championship. This part of the story speaks to the team's competitiveness in practice. Playing time is earned. The star ratings expire when you're assigned your locker.