Once the transfer portal opened last week, Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks were in a slow burn, but the fire has been lit over the last two days.
On Saturday, Oregon made a big splash in the portal, landing former Purdue Boilermakers safety Dillon Thieneman, the No. 1 available S. Thieneman chose the Ducks over the likes of Ohio State, Georgia, and LSU.
On Sunday, Lanning and the Ducks followed that up with another addition, getting a commitment from former Northwestern Wildcats cornerback Theran Johnson, a redshirt junior with 103 tackles and 3 interceptions in his career.
There are still several positions that Oregon needs to fill in the portal this offseason, but the Ducks are off to a good start, filling major needs on the roster at cornerback and safety. Let’s take a look at some other positions that the Ducks can try to hit in the portal over the next few weeks.
Tight End
Yes, the Oregon Ducks still have Kenyon Sadiq on the roster, who is expected to be among the best tight ends in the nation next year. Yes, they still have a big need for at least one, and potentially two tight ends in the transfer portal this year.
Depth is needed at that position, and with both Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert graduating, Oregon’s TE room is getting drained this year. There are still young players like Roger Saleapaga, AJ Pugliano, and incoming freshman Vander Ploog on the roster, but you need more proven depth and experience than that to feel comfortable going into a new season.
Running Back
There’s a chance that the Oregon Ducks have one of the best and most experienced running back rooms in the nation next year, or a chance that they are in desperate need of some help in the transfer portal. All of that depends on what both Jordan James and Noah Whittington decide to do.
Starting with James, the 1,000-yard rusher in 2024 has another year of eligibility remaining, should he want it, and a chance to bolster his draft stock. He could also choose to declare for the NFL Draft this offseason after the best year of his career. Similarly, Whittington has another year of eligibility as well after a medical redshirt in 2023 following his knee injury. He could be well-served by another season at Oregon before going off to the NFL.
Offensive Tackle
We know that right tackle Ajani Cornelius is headed off to the NFL after this season, so the Ducks could use an experienced offensive tackle to come in and replace him. What we still need to see is whether or not left tackle Josh Conerly is going to declare for the draft as well. Conerly has had a great season, and his draft stock has definitely been rising. Oregon will try to convince him to stay, but if they’re unable to, then OT becomes arguably the top need in the portal this offseason.
Inside Linebacker
The Ducks have a lot of great depth at the inside linebacker spot, but with guys like Jeffrey Bassa, Bryce Boettcher, and Jestin Jacobs graduating, the need for experience is there. Devon Jackson is the only returning player at the position with a lot of production, and while you feel confident in guys like Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, and Kamar Mothudi, Oregon still needs to have more experience and production at this critical spot going into a new season.
Wide Receiver
The Ducks have to feel great about the talent that they have at the wide receiver position. However, both Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden are graduating this year, and there’s a chance that Evan Stewart goes on to the NFL as well, though Oregon is working hard to bring him back for another year. If Stewart leaves, I think the Ducks absolutely need a proven WR out of the portal. Even if Stewart stays, it still wouldn’t be a shock to see Oregon add a pass-catcher, but it becomes less of a need.
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