The news came out on Monday morning that Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James would be declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft and not returning to Eugene for his final year of college eligibility.
This appears to be something that Dan Lanning and his staff were prepared for, as they are now in a good position to land one of the top rushers in the transfer portal this offseason, with Tulane Green Wave RB Makhi Hughes.
According to multiple reports, Hughes is predicted to transfer to Oregon after taking a visit to Eugene over the weekend.
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Hughes, who rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024, would come to Eugene and play a huge role for the Ducks in 2025 as a redshirt junior with two years of eligibility, should he commit to Oregon.
After sitting out the 2022 season with an injury, Hughes played in 28 games over the past two seasons, rushing 523 times for 2,779 yards (5.3 YPC) and 22 touchdowns.
The transfer would also make a lot of sense for Hughes, who just saw his younger half-brother, 5-star CB Na’eem Offord, sign with the Ducks as a member of the 2025 recruiting class. Offord chose Oregon over Ohio State and Alabama.
We will see if it ends up happening in the end, but don’t be surprised to see Lanning and the Ducks reload at the RB position and be in a great spot with Hughes going into 2025.
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