Oregon traveled to Michigan to face the Wolverines as a member of the Big Ten for the first time. The top-ranked Ducks proved worthy of the lofty ranking, sending the partisan crowd to the exits early in a 38-17 road win.
I was among those in the stands at the Big House, though I stayed until the end of this one. Unlike most games where I’m holed up in the press box, I watched this one from the fan section, behind the Oregon sideline on a sunny late afternoon that quickly faded into a chilly final evening of Daylight Saving Time.
Here’s what I took away from some of the 2025 NFL Draft prospects in the game.
Derrick Harmon
Harmon stood out from the very first Oregon defensive snap. The Ducks DT artfully dodged a (poorly executed) block and crashed into the backfield for an emphatic TFL. It was the first of several impressively disruptive plays the Michigan State transfer made on the day.
Harmon’s ability to strafe laterally and stay disengaged from blocking was devastating to the Michigan run offense. Harmon has quick eyes and quicker feet for his size, but he also flashed some real power and finishing acumen. His ability to find consistent success while lining up on either shoulder of the guards showed some positional versatility along the defensive interior that sure looks like it will translate to the next level quite well.
It was also impressive to watch him on the sidelines. Even though he’s new to the program, Harmon was quite enthusiastic in exhorting his Ducks teammates to not let up once the game started to get out of hand in their favor in the second half.
Mason Graham
Graham had a quiet day as a pass rusher, but at least some of that is attributable to how quickly Oregon throws the ball. The interior defensive line doesn’t have enough time to really impact all the quick swings and screens, and that was true of Graham in this game. He did, however, show some very nice stack-and-steer work at DT on inside runs.
The ability to get off a block with his powerful shoulders and then contribute to the tackle proved why he’s a legit NFL talent, though this was the second Michigan game I’ve been to this year (USC the other) where I was underwhelmed with his initial burst; he can do power or quick, but they don’t marry as well as other recent top DT prospects–or like Harmon on the Oregon side of the ball showed in this game.
Evan Stewart
Stewart’s best play of the game didn’t even count. The Oregon wideout made a spectacular one-handed stab in the end zone at full vertical extension and managed to contort himself so that he landed with one foot down for a would-be touchdown. Alas, it was wiped out by a penalty on Oregon. It was every bit as awesome as the Odell Beckham Jr. snag a few years back.
Even though that one didn’t count, seeing how dynamic Stewart was able to slice and dice the Michigan secondary over the middle and up the seams was impressive. He’s got a very good pacing to his route-running, and Stewart proved he’s got great hands, too. The Texas A&M transfer got a few looks in the slot, and that’s where I think his NFL future lies–even though he’s got the field-stretching speed on the outside. He played with more physicality than I expected for a 175-pound receiver, though it wasn’t always effective physicality.
Colston Loveland
Loveland was the best Michigan player on the field and basically the only effective offensive player for nearly the entire game. The polish on his receiving traits–routes, releases, hands, strength in traffic, transition from receiver to runner–was fantastic in this one. Oregon’s defense knew he was getting the ball and they still couldn’t stop him.
This game reaffirmed that Loveland is not an NFL-caliber inline blocker and it will take considerable work to get him to be even a passable blocking presence. But for teams looking for a multi-level receiving threat at tight end, Loveland proved in this one he’s best-in-class. The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder even showed ability aligning as the wide receiver in this one. Very impressive game from Loveland.
Dillon Gabriel
The well-traveled Ducks quarterback stood out for three primary things:
- He’s visibly smaller in person; both the 6-0 and especially the 200 pounds he’s listed at seem quite generous.
- The lefty has a lightning-quick release and the ball comes out with impressive exit velocity,
- Gabriel is very good at mistake avoidance, making the best decision with the ball almost every time.
Gabriel has decent pocket mobility and proved on his touchdown scamper he can chew up yards quickly with his legs, too. His downfield arm strength was visibly lacking, however; he had two deeper throws that hung up in the air too long. Even in the warmups on the sideline, it was clear the zip doesn’t last long on his throws.
Kalel Mullings
Michigan’s sledgehammer of a running back had a very rough afternoon against the quickness of Oregon’s defense. Mullings lacks great vision and there is almost no lateral agility to his game. He’s still learning how to play running back, so there is upside for a 233-pound rolling sack of hammers, but he’s still quite green at the nuances of playing running back. Oregon was very effective at not letting him get north-south right away and negating his power. The first Duck to hit him got him down almost every time.
Will Johnson
The standout Michigan cornerback did not play. He’s still recovering from a foot injury suffered early in Michigan’s loss to Illinois on October 19th. Johnson has also missed time in 2024 with a shoulder injury suffered in the Wolverines’ win over USC.