Oregon football’s Pro Day provided one last opportunity to see several members of the program’s crucial 2025 transfer class take the field in Eugene. 

While arguably the class’ most impactful transfer, safety Dillon Thieneman, didn’t participate in drills after excelling at the NFL Draft Combine, many of the other players who helped the Ducks solve an intimidating roster turnover did.

Wide receiver Malik Benson, offensive linemen Alex Harkey and Emmanuel Pregnon, and defensive backs Theran Johnson and Jadon Canady all performed in front of NFL scouts in an effort to further raise their draft stock after spending their last college football seasons doing so in Eugene.

“Last year I didn’t even get the opportunity to go to the combine, so just getting another year of eligibility and fulfilling all my dreams with the combine, then being out here one last time with the guys — I really just want to have that smile on my face and show that gratitude,” Benson said. “Everything happens for a reason, so getting another opportunity and just being able to come out here and do this, why would I not have a smile on my face?”

While Oregon featured a talented wide receiver group last season, Benson filled a desperate need for experience at the position. The Florida State University transfer spent two seasons at Hutchinson Community College before unproductive stints at the University of Alabama and with the Seminoles.

Benson’s experience took some pressure off of true freshman Dakorien Moore and redshirt freshman Jeremiah McClellan. Along with the leadership role, Benson served as the Ducks’ No. 1 receiver in key games late in the season, leading Oregon in receiving yards in Week 14 against Washington and in its first-round College Football Playoff win over James Madison University.

“Man, the thing I appreciated the most was honestly just getting another year of eligibility, just to come to Oregon and to be able to showcase who I am,” Benson said. “Obviously, I’m coming from Florida State, and I didn’t put my best foot forward there, so getting another opportunity to showcase who I am as a person and athlete — I feel like it ultimately helped me, and I’m just super excited to see where it’s gonna take me.”

Benson used the opportunity to raise his stock from not receiving a Combine invite last season to being rated a 6.00 prospect by NFL.com, displaying “traits or talent to be an above-average backup.”

Pregnon and Harkey found similar opportunities along Oregon’s offensive line, which required an overhaul in the transfer portal after losing several starters to graduation and the draft.

“I feel like a standard was already set, right? We just added to it,” Pregnon, an AP First Team All-American, said. “I believe Coach (A’lique) Terry and Oregon football always had an elite O-line, and coming to be a part of that, it was like no other. I just came in very excited, very amped up, just to be a part of something elite, and add to that standard that was already set, and just make it better.” 

Oregon’s offensive line was named a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, presented to college football’s most outstanding offensive line, for the third straight year. Pregnon’s contributions earned him a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team, while Harkey was named an honorable mention.

Pregnon already showcased his talent in a starting role at USC last season before transferring to Oregon, but his sixth season of college football raised his prospect rating to 6.34, or “will eventually be a plus starter.” 

Harkey proved he could play a starting role for the first time in his final season at Texas State University, before doing it on a bigger stage in Eugene. His season earned him a 6.13 rating, projecting him as “a good backup with potential to become a starter.”

Canady and Johnson transferred into a similarly-depleted Oregon secondary, combining with Thieneman, redshirt freshmen Aaron Flowers and Ify Obidegwu, and true freshman Brandon Finney Jr. to form a boom-or-bust group that performed much closer to the former. 

Johnson faces a long road to the NFL after not receiving an invite to the Combine, but Oregon head coach Dan Lanning consistently touted the value of the Northwestern transfer’s Big Ten experience throughout the season, and he was a valuable depth piece in the secondary.

Canady’s 39 tackles, two interceptions and six pass breakups playing the valuable nickel position in Oregon’s defense earned him a 6.19 prospect rating going into the draft, projecting him as “A good backup with the potential to develop into a starter.”

Oregon’s rebuilt defense was especially illuminating of Lanning’s success in the transfer portal, with the transfers taking leadership roles alongside some of the team’s most established players.

“I think me and (Thieneman) coming in early, and then guys like Matayo (Uiagalelei), Bear (Alexander), and Bryce (Boettcher) — all of us putting the extra work in and making practice fun and competitive, I think all that helped the team mold into what we became this year,” Canady said.

Pro Day represented a successful 2025 transfer class for the program, and it bodes well for Lanning’s use of the transfer portal in the future.