McLaughlin: Assessing Oregon’s Transfer Portal Activity – Are the Ducks Done?
By SPENCER McLAUGHLIN
Contributor, 750 The Game
Oregon has added 5 transfers this cycle, 5 on offense and 3 on defense. Could more be on the way? It’s not the least likely thing that could occur.
Defensively the Ducks have brought in DBs Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), Theran Johnson (Northwestern), and DL Bear Alexander (USC). I expect all 3 of them to be key parts of Oregon’s defense in 2025, especially Thieneman who is likely to start at free safety for the Ducks.
Oregon also got notable defensive news when LB Bryce Boettcher announced he will return to the Ducks in 2025 after gaining another year of eligibility. Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said they were looking into it prior to the Rose Bowl, and their efforts have paid off. Boettcher was arguably Oregon’s best linebacker this season. Does his return mean the Ducks won’t search for a veteran in that room? That depends.
Right now the top of the LB depth chart features Bryce Boettcher and Devon Jackson. Those are capable, proven veterans who were playmakers for the Ducks this year. After that? It’s a lot of “let’s see what we’ve got” for Lanning and the staff.
Jerry Mixon. Brayden Platt. Kamar Mothudi. Dylan Williams. These are just some of the names to watch for in this position room heading into Spring practice. They’re all guys (most were 4-star recruits) who are waiting for their shot to be impact players for the Ducks this season. You would think at least one of them is ready, as they are all going into at least their second season in 2025. But will 2 of them be ready? Perhaps we won’t know for sure until after Spring practice.
Then there’s the safety spot. Thieneman burst onto the scene in 2023 with a standout season at Purdue, but like the rest of the Boilermakers in 2024 he wasn’t realizing his full potential. Oregon is losing its two starting safeties, Kobe Savage and Tysheem Johnson, which isn’t going to make every Oregon fan shed a tear. Both guys were exploited in coverage by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. That group was my top worry for Oregon’s defense going into the game against a trio of NFL-caliber wideouts, and Chip Kelly saw the same thing.
Oregon has some talented young safeties who could be great players one day on the back end of Tosh Lupoi’s defense. 4-star Alabama transfer Peyton Woodyard was on the 2-deep this season, is he ready to make the jump? What about Aaron Flowers, who was garnering all sorts of accolades upon finishing his high school career?
This is where the “can be good” vs “is good” debate comes in for the staff. If one of those guys or incoming 4-star safety Trey McNutt are ready to go, then Oregon probably doesn’t add another transfer at that spot. Despite their recruiting profiles, there’s still no guarantee any of those guys are ready to help Oregon try to repeat as Big 10 champs in 2025. Though they all carry lots of stars next to their name, most blue chip recruits still need 2-3 years before they’re ready to become full-fledged starters.
Offensively, I would think the Ducks are done in the portal. They brought in offensive tackles Isaiah World (Nevada) and Alex Harkey (Texas State) to replace outgoing NFL Draft prospects Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius. They also brought in WR Malik Benson from Florida State and got big news when Evan Stewart announced he will return for his final season of college football. With TE Jamari Johnson coming over from Louisville to backup Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon’s pass catchers look to be set. Everyone except Jordan James is back to run the rock, and Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes will slide in as the Ducks’ top ball carrier.
There’s another portal window in the Spring, and one way or another it’s reasonable there will be more activity for the Ducks’ roster. I suspect more of that action will be from departures rather than further additions. Now just one major question remains:
Does Dante Moore have everything he needs to succeed?
Spencer McLaughlin is an Oregon Ducks football contributor to 750 The Game. He also hosts the “Locked On Oregon Ducks” and “Locked On College Football” podcasts and has work featured throughout the season here.