Oregon Ducks Land Three of College Football’s Top 100 for 2025—Is This the Dawn of a New Dynasty?

“The Ducks lost several key players off last season’s defense, including tackle Derrick Harmon, a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Trotter wrote. “But Uiagalelei is a big reason the Ducks could be just as disruptive up front after ranking third in the Big Ten with 40 sacks in 2024.”Contact/Follow@Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page onFacebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.There’s a buzz building around the Oregon Ducks as the 2025 college football season looms, and rightly so. It’s not every day that a trio of players snag both preseason All-American honors and slots on ESPN’s top 100 list before a single kickoff. Let me tell you, this combination screams potential—and these Ducks are ready to soar. Leading the charge, safety Dillon Thieneman stands out with a staggering 104 tackles last season, a testament to his grit and field presence. Then there’s Makai Hughes, a powerhouse running back whose yardage totals from Tulane make him a formidable force to reckon with. And topping them all, defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, whose relentless sack count has the Big Ten scrambling for answers. The departure of key defensive players like Derrick Harmon might have rattled some, but with this trio’s rising star power, the Ducks appear poised for disruption. With the season opener just around the corner, you’d better believe the spotlight’s on Oregon’s bright stars to light up the gridiron once more. LEARN MORENext was running back Makai Hughes, who also transferred to join Oregon’s program this offseason. Coming in at No. 30 on the list, Hughes established himself as one of the top running backs in the country during his two seasons at Tulane — regardless of conference.

Safety Dillon Thieneman was the first Duck to appear on the list at No. 44. The former Purdue Boilermaker was one of the team’s lone standouts, finishing with a team-leading 104 total tackles (70 solo) and six passes defensed.”Hughes rushed for 2,779 yards combined the past two seasons, more than any other returning back in college football,” ESPN’s Jake Trotter wrote. “Hughes should bring a level of physicality to the Oregon offense; he broke 38 tackles last season, tied with North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton for fifth most in the nation.”

With less than two weeks to go before Oregon kicks off their season against Montana State, the preseason accolades continue to roll in for the Ducks’ trio of stars.Tops on the list for the Ducks is defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei, who’s ranked as the 20th best player in college football. It should come as no surprise, as he was an All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore and notched 10.5 sacks in the regular season. That led the conference.

In the same week that a trio of Oregon Ducks were named 2025 AP Preseason All-Americans, those same three players have been named to ESPN’s top 100 players in college football prior to the 2025 season.