Tag: Finalists

LOS ANGELES — Dan Lanning has joked that Tez Johnson loves to sit in front a microphone, where the affable and personable wide receiver has a spotlight to pontificate and deliver hype about his beloved Oregon Ducks.

And few players elicit more hype from Johnson than sophomore Dante Moore.

The backup quarterback has completed only seven passes and played mop-up minutes in three games for the Ducks. But he has performed so well behind the scenes and unleashed so many “wow” moments in practice, Johnson has already decided that the former five-star recruit is destined for greatness.

“He’s going to be a Heisman finalist next year,” Johnson said.

Wait … next year?

“One hundred percent,” Johnson continued.

Moore, who is the leading contender to replace starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel next season, is the biggest name on an impressive list of talented young Oregon players who seem poised to assume prominent roles in 2025. Lanning has stacked his roster with multiple years of top 10 recruiting classes and the backbone of those classes — the next generation of Ducks stars — is ready to step out of the shadows.

The two-deep roster will look quite a bit different next season, when a slew of seniors and draft-eligible players leave Eugene. And while Lanning has added six players via the transfer portal this month, it’s almost time for guys like Dante Moore, Kenyon Sadiq, Jerry Mixon, Jeremiah McClellan, Justius Lowe, Ify Obidegwu and Rodrick Pleasant — who have been developing and waiting their turn — to become household names.

“There are endless dudes,” senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher said, referring to Oregon’s young talent. “I can’t really (single out) one name, because the amount of depth we have is unbelievable. The whole team is filled with ballers.”

Which Oregon ballers are next up? There are numerous, according to veteran Ducks players, and opportunities will come based on offseason growth, lineup departures and injuries. But after surveying 10 Oregon veterans this week at the Rose Bowl, a few players appear poised to break out.

CFP quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl

• Who: No. 1 Oregon Ducks (13-0) vs. No. 8 Ohio State (11-2)
• When: Wednesday, Jan. 1
• Time: 2 p.m. PT
• Where: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
• TV channel: ESPN
• Stream: You can watch this game live for FREE with Fubo (free trial) or by signing up for Sling (cheapest streaming plans, $25 off your first month). If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on Watch ESPN with your cable or satellite provider login information.
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DEFENSE

Multiple Ducks defensive players raved about Mixon, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound sophomore inside linebacker, who has played in 18 games, mostly on special teams, during his two years in Eugene.

Mixon has a knack for making the remarkable seem routine, his teammates say, and he’s turned heads in practice this month by corralling a surprising number of interceptions. Senior cornerback Nikko Reed, who said Mixon is so fast he can “cover like a DB,” was left in awe at a recent workout after Mixon snatched a one-handed interception and raced the other way for a touchdown.

“I think he’s had 10 picks in the last six days,” Boettcher said. “It’s insane. His ball savviness is incredible. His time’s coming. He’s going to have an incredible future.”

Added wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr.: “I swear he gets a pick every day at practice. I’m like, ‘Bro, are you not doing your job? How are you just floating to the ball like that?’ It’s crazy. He’s a ball hawk. I like Jerry Mixon.”

Teammates also praised Mixon’s mental approach, noting his positive outlook and dedication to mastering the playbook, which has deepened significantly in his second season.

“That dude comes to practice every day with a certain confidence and a certain attitude …” senior cornerback Jabbar Muhammad said. “He’s accepting coaching, accepting when he’s wrong. It’s kind of hard when you’re a young recruit. You want to prove yourself right. But he has the right attitude every single day, man, and that’s rare to find as a young guy.”

When Mixon finally ascends into a starting role, he may do so alongside fellow sophomore Devon Jackson.

The 6-2, 230-pound inside linebacker is fast, powerful and versatile, according to senior linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, who said he’s seen the young phenom top out at “22 or 23 miles per hour.”

“He has speed and can run,” Bassa said. “But he can in pass pro and also stop the run as well. He’s a really athletically gifted guy. Devon Jackson is going to be a guy who’s going to be a tremendous leader for this Oregon defense.”

Behind Mixon and Jackson, the Oregon secondary is loaded with so much young talent, Muhammad, Reed and senior Kobe Savage had trouble settling on their favorite future star. Instead, the trio basically hyped the whole room, including junior Sione Laulea, sophomore Pleasant and freshmen Kingston Lopa, Obidegwu, Daylen Austin, Solomon Davis, Dakoda Fields, Aaron Flowers, Peyton Woodyard and Brayden Platt.

“I could keep going on and on,” Muhammad said, smiling, after listing six defensive backs. “I’m really proud of those guys and what they’ve grasped — our concepts — because it’s not easy at all.”

When pressed, Oregon veterans begrudgingly singled out two standouts — Pleasant and Lopa — for vastly different reasons.

Reed praised Pleasant’s “instincts,” coverage skills, “football IQ” and speed (the 5-9, 180-pound sophomore also runs track). Boettcher, meanwhile, loves Lopa’s violent playing style.

The 6-5, 198-pound safety has been so physical in workouts, he has occasionally crossed the line. More than once, Lopa — much like Boettcher in his early days on the football team — has drawn Lanning’s wrath and been forced to run laps around practice field goal posts as punishment.

“He’s flying around and hitting people at practice,” Boettcher said. “He kind of reminds me of myself a little bit in (my) safety days, just running through people … (and) running to the goal post, which is amazing.”

And Lopa has brains to match the brawn. Savage, who compared Lopa to former NFL safety Taylor Mays, is Lopa’s roommate, and the teenager has peppered his mentor with so many questions this season, a less patient person would have found it exhausting.

“He’ll ask you a million questions,” Savage said. “And that’s really good. It may be annoying to some people, but he’s asking a lot of questions because he’s trying to hone in on his preparation. I feel like that’s a vet move for a rookie. And then, on the field, he’s just a freak. He’s 6-4, huge, fast, and a great dude. I love watching him play.”

OFFENSE

Much like that stacked secondary, Oregon appears to be loaded with pass catchers on offense. Tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who hurdled and slithered his way to a pair of touchdowns in the Big Ten championship game, needs no introduction. Everyone agrees he’s destined for stardom.

But, Oregon veterans say, he’ll have plenty of company at wide receiver, where sophomore Lowe and freshmen McClellan, Ryan Pellum and Jack Ressler are poised to blossom into difference-makers.

Johnson praised Ressler’s “grit,” calling him “sneakily” good, and labeled Lowe the smartest guy he’s “ever been around.” Lowe is such an advanced and gifted route runner, Johnson said, he taught the veteran a thing or two about footwork and route releases.

“He knows every play, the guy’s a 4.0 student,” Johnson said. “He’s fast as could be, he’s shifty, he’ll get you right off the line and run right past you. Justius should win an award for how connected he is in the receiving room. Like, I learned so much from Justius this year. Some routes out there … I give Justius all the praise for some of the releases I do.”

McClellan, meanwhile, has such a thirst to be great, he regularly visits Muhammad’s house to watch film and pick his brain, quizzing the veteran defensive back about how he scouts and analyzes wide receivers. “That’s not normal for an 18- or 19-year old,” Muhammad said.

Neither is McClellan’s makeup.

“His explosiveness is next-level,” Savage said. “And he has a really high vertical. Like, he’s super explosive. Very fast, has a great route tree. He’s going to be really good.”

But no young Oregon player elicits more hype and hope than Moore, the 6-3, 210-pound sophomore from Detroit. College football fans saw a glimpse of Moore’s potential last year, when he started five games at UCLA, passing for 1,610 yards and 11 touchdowns, as a true freshman.

But teammates say he has grown exponentially since transferring to Oregon, and they praised his leadership, magnetic, easygoing personality, work ethic and next-level talent. He has a powerful, accurate arm. He’s fast. He loves the film room. He gets along with everyone. And his time in Eugene has been filled with so many jaw-dropping plays behind the scenes, teammates have routinely been left in awe.

Once, in fall camp, Moore rolled out of the pocket to the left — the opposite way a right-handed quarterback normally scrambles — and tossed a no-look, sidearm bullet across his body to a receiver running a drag route the other direction.

“Words don’t do it justice,” Savage said. “That’s when I knew, like, wow, he’s The Guy. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen from him.”

The remarkable throws became a daily occurrence, teammates say. There have been 65-yard bombs that sailed from one hash to the opposite hash. There have been thread-the-needle passes into traffic that whizzed in between the helmets of his offensive linemen. And there have been no-look, 60-yard beauties punctuated, Johnson said, by a pirouette, “like Steph Curry” after hitting “a fadeaway” jumper.

“He does stuff I’ve never seen before,” Bryant said.

All the while, Moore has prepared as if he’s the starter, dissecting defenses in film study sessions, commanding meeting rooms with questions and critiques, and guiding the second unit to plenty of wins in practice scrimmages.

It’s no wonder Johnson already has Moore penciled in as a Heisman finalist.

“That boy can throw a ball like no other,” Johnson said. “I’ve never seen nothing like it. He’s so ready. He’s so ready to play. You can just tell.”

— Joe Freeman covers the Oregon Ducks. Reach him at 503-294-5183 or @BlazerFreeman. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.