With the college football offseason in full effect, it's easy to forget about some of the players that impacted the 2025 College Football Playoff race, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
For the Oregon Ducks , one of the prominent defenders on their way to reaching the CFP Semifinal was cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. — despite it only being his true freshman season. And entering his sophomore campaign, CBS sports has tabbed him as the 3rd-ranked sophomore standout that will define the 2026 playoff race .
"Finney checks every box that a premier cornerback should -- physical at the line of scrimmage, fluid in transition and confident playing on an island against elite receivers," Brad Crawford wrote. "The first-round traits were noticeable last fall when the Maryland native worked his way into a loaded secondary as a starter and collected three interceptions, including a pair in Oregon's playoff shutout win over high-powered Texas Tech. Ironically, his other two-takeaway performance came on the road at Iowa after forcing a pair of fumbles. Finney's first career interception came during Oregon's 30-20 loss at Indiana when he swiped Fernando Mendoza 's underthrown pass off his back foot early in the fourth quarter and knotted the score at 20."
As a four-star recruit and the No. 8 cornerback in the 2025 class, Finney was one of many high-ranking Ducks as part of last season's incoming class. But he had arguably the best season of them all, recording 42 tackles, seven passes defensed, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a sack on his way to being named a second-team All-Big Ten performer.
Standing 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, the Maryland native was physically imposing, dominant and, like Crawford said, put himself squarely in the conversation to be a first-round draft pick once he's eligible for the NFL in 2028.
He should be even better as a sophomore, and will have a significant hand once again in the success of the Ducks' defense as they vie to make their third consecutive appearance in the CFP.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon CB Brandon Finney Jr. named as impact sophomore in CFP race
