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 week.
The Ducks picked up their first commitment of the class over the weekend with the addition of 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.
Lanning and his staff made a further splash on Wednesday morning, landing commitments from former Louisville TE Jamari Johnson and Texas State OT Alex Harkey in a matter of minutes.
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 big positions of need. Let’s take a look at some other positions that the Ducks can try to hit in the portal over the next few weeks.
Offensive Tackle
We always knew that Oregon was going to need to add one offensive tackle through the portal this year, and with the elite play we’ve seen from Josh Conerly over the last couple of months, it’s becoming pretty clear that they’re going to need two of them.
Both Ajani Cornelius and Conerly are likely going to head off to the NFL this offseason, so the Ducks need help on the edges of the offensive line. They got a great piece in Alex Harkey on Wednesday, the No. 6 OT in the class, but they still need another blocker.
Fortunately, it seems like they are in a good position to get one. Former Nevada OT Isaiah World, the No. 1 OT in the portal, put the Ducks among his top schools and is currently on a visit in Eugene. Should Oregon get a commitment from him, they would be sitting pretty going into the new season.
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.
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.
Tight End
The Ducks added a really solid tight end on Wednesday with the addition of Jamari Johnson, but I still list this position as an area of need because I think you could use some more depth here. It is no longer the top position of need, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Oregon try and find another player here, more of the blocking variety — think Casey Kelly, rather than Kenyon Sadiq.
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.
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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