“The more guys you can play, the better you’re going to be,” head coach Dan Lanning said after Oregon’s 69-3 win over Oklahoma State. 

Oregon has been getting in player after player when it has been leading in a game. Those players who get into the game aren’t just holding the score, rather, they continue to compete for the Ducks and are showing why they can go far in 2025.

The Northwestern game on Sept. 13 was another chance for Oregon to get their non-starting talent into the game. And while the Ducks didn’t have as big of a scoring margin as in Week 1 and 2, Oregon still got a lot of players into the game.

“[F]or us, it’s continuing to figure out how many guys can play winning football for us,” Lanning said to GoDucks after Oregon’s 34-14 win over Northwestern. “You saw a lot of guys out there play, again, for us. That’s always going to be the goal.” 

There have been many non-starters that have stuck out, showing that they have the ability to step up when they get put into the game. 

Under center, Luke Moga was not expected to be seeing much of the field with Dante Moore starting and Austin Novosad playing his backup. But with the injury that Novosad received in Week 1, Moga’s spot in the depth chart moved up. With Moga moving up, the trickle-down effect means that behind Moga will now be Brock Thomas, a sophomore from Eugene. 

So far, Moga has three completions on five attempts for 58 yards. Thomas has two completions in five attempts for 14 yards. Despite neither one throwing for a touchdown yet, Moga has had better success leading the Ducks down the field. Those drives have resulted in getting into field goal territory against both Oklahoma State and Northwestern and a rushing touchdown by Jordon Davison against Oklahoma State. 

Lanning has voiced his confidence in the depth of the position and the overall quarterback play going forward. “Brock had a really good camp, done some good things,” Lanning said. “Luke’s done some really good things. I thought they both did some good stuff today as well.”

On the run game side, true freshman Dierre Hill Jr. has gotten his chance. Noah Whittington was listed as questionable for Week 3 against Northwestern, which gave Hill the chance to show what he could do. Hill’s history as a high school track star fueled his performance against Northwestern. Hill ended the day with five carries for 94 yards, including a 66-yard run dash for a touchdown, which demonstrated his elite speed. 

Davison, another true freshman, has 13 carries for 40 yards and five touchdowns, effectively showing his ability to be an impact player for the Ducks at the goal line. Despite his Week 1 start against Montana State, Davison has been coming off the bench since. His most recent scoring drives have both been in the third quarter; one against Oklahoma State and the other against Northwestern. 

These early weeks of this season have shown that Oregon’s first season in the Big 10 wasn’t a fluke. The Ducks have recruited incredible talent, effectively ensuring that if a starter were to have to leave the game, another highly skilled player can fill that role. It seems as though Oregon has an unlimited pool of talent at its disposal. 

Being able to have a back-up squad nearly as strong as your starters is a dream for any football program. In conference play, the Ducks won’t have to be worried about resting the starters in the late third and fourth quarter if they’re ahead. The young talent has proven that it can still compete at a high level. 

When the Ducks are marching into the playoffs with a well-rested starting squad and a strong bench, watch out. The notion that this team could go further than last season may just become reality.