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Major takeaways from Oregon football spring game as Ducks showcase new-look roster
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- Major takeaways from Oregon football spring game as Ducks showcase new-look roster
Oregon Duck fans gathered in Autzen Stadium as the sun broke through the crowds, and they watched Dan Lanning's new-look roster take the field for the annual spring game. While a program-record number of players were being selected in the 2025 NFL draft, the guys in Eugene showcased what they had been working on all offseason.
It was a fun day for the Ducks in Eugene. The defense dominated the scrimmage, except for a handful of shot plays from the offense. The final scoreboard read 24-20, Fighting Ducks , but the most important number to note was the 11 sacks from the two defenses along with a defensive touchdown.
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There were the expected performances from Kenyon Sadiq , Dante Moore and Kyler Kasper. However, a handful of young guys broke out as well, including wide receiver Dillon Gresham , quarterback Luke Moga , linebacker Jerry Mixon and kicker Gage Hurych.
Here are some of the biggest things that stood out to us throughout the game:
A Nasty Defensive Line
Combat Ducks running back Jay Harris carries for a touchdown as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
The story of the day was the defense. While the offenses had their moments and a few chunk plays throughout the day, the defense dominated. They combined for 11 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble that was taken the length of the field for a touchdown by Blake Purchase.
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Safety Aaron Flowers led the team with eight total tackles, while LB Jerry Mixon added 7. In all, 11 players had at least one-half of a sack, and the two teams combined for 16 tackles for loss. The secondary contributed nine total pass break-ups.
Of course, a defense is usually going to win in an Oregon spring game where the offensive line is thrown together and made up of starters and backups. When you combine that with the fact the Ducks ' defensive line is arguably the strong suit of the roster, you get a dominant performance like we did on Saturday.
The Quarterback Competition
I went into Saturday's scrimmage with the idea that Dante Moore was the leader in the quarterback competition, followed relatively closely by Austin Novosad and then Luke Moga. I did not see anything during the spring game to sway that notion.
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All three quarterbacks look pretty good in the scrimmage. Moga, honestly, hadg the most impressive day. The redshirt freshman completed 6-of-13 passes for 112 yards and one touchdown while adding a couple of rushes for 11 yards. Moore was the next most productive QB, completing 12-of-20 passes for 140 yards and no touchdowns. Novosad went 5-for-9 for 58 yards and no touchdowns.
Each player had his moments. Novosad's was on the first drive of the game, a 36-yard completion to Dakorien Moore down the sideline. Moore hit Kenyon Sadiq seven times for 102 of his 140 yards. Moga connected with Dillon Gresham on a slant over the middle that went 56 yards for a touchdown . But nobody really stole the show and asserted himself as the clear-cut QB1.
As such, I am left thinking this is still Moore's job to lose, and it's going to take an impressive fall camp from any of the other passers in the room to unseat him from the top of the depth chart.
Kenyon Sadiq Season
Combat Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq hurdles Fighting Ducks inside linebacker Dylan Williams as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
In March, Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein told us he was going to try to get Kenyon Sadiq the ball more this year. We saw what that looked like on Saturday in the spring game, and it was spectacular. Sadiq led the team with seven catches for 102 yards. He hurdled another defender in the third quarter just for giggles.
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While this was a joy for fans to see, it was nothing new for Dan Lanning and the players.
"I have seen it every day that he's been here," Lanning said after the game . "He's a guy that has constantly improved, worked really hard, and embraced whatever role he's wearing for the team. He has been able to help us since the day he got here. I think you saw some of Kenyon that we get to see every day in practice."
There are a number of offensive weapons for Stein to scheme for, but Sadiq has proven every time he has the ball in his hands that he's among the most explosive options the Ducks have. If Stein keeps his word, it could be an entertaining season.
Dakorien Moore Will Have a Role
EUGENE, OREGON - APRIL 26: Dakorien Moore #1 of the Oregon Ducks runs after a catch during the Oregon spring game at Autzen Stadium on April 26, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
It didn't take long for 5-star freshman wide receiver Dakorien Moore to announce his presence. Fans were excited to see the No. 1 WR in the 2025 class finally get some run in the spring game, and it only took a few plays for his number to be called. On Austin Novosad's first completion of the game, he found Moore streaking down the right sideline for a 36-yard gain.
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It wasn't just a run-in-the-mill pitch and catch, but a perfectly placed ball that Moore battled cornerback Theran Johnson for while staying inbounds.
There are a number of mouths to feed in Oregon's offense: Sadiq, Evan Stewart , Makhi Hughes and Kyler Kasper among others. It's pretty clear, though, that Moore is going to have a role to play, and he could be among the top targets for whoever wins the starting job.
Dillon Gresham's Breakout
EUGENE, OREGON - APRIL 26: Makhi Hughes #20 of the Oregon Ducks catches a pass while being defended by Theran Johnson #5 of the Oregon Ducks during the Oregon spring game at Autzen Stadium on April 26, 2025 in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)
We go into every spring game knowing that a young player is going to announce their presence and turn some heads. In the past years, guys like Troy Franklin , Tez Johnson , and Jay Harris have all had big performances that signaled what might be to come. On Saturday, that young player was redshirt freshman WR Dillon Gresham.
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He finished with three catches for 96 yards and the only WR touchdown of the day. Fifty-six of his yards came on the slant pass taken to the house from Luke Moga, but he also had an impressive diving catch down the left sideline in the first half.
"I would say that Dylan is probably one of our most improved players from this past season to what he's done now," Lanning said after the He continues to make big plays on the field and has done a really good job for us. He showed up today and I think we all saw what he's capable of."
It will be tough for Greshman to get a large portion of the target share in Eugene this year with so many talented players, but he at the least showed on Saturday that he belongs in the mix, and he has a bright future at Oregon.
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Hello, Gage Hurych
There hasn't been much talk about the kicker position this offseason for the Ducks, simply because the assumption was that Atticus Sappington would keep the job after being the starter in 2024. However, he might have some competition after Saturday's scrimmage. Freshman kicker Gage Hurych announced his presence, and he did so loudly. Hurych handled both kicking and punting duties, nailing a pair of deep field goals, one from 47 yards and one from 54 yards. Both kicks sailed through the uprights with room to spare.
Hurych also punted twice for 69 yards, one of which was downed inside the 20.
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It's a spring game, so it's hard to tell how a freshman kicker like Hurych would perform under the pressure of a real game situation, but he is, at the very least, a name to know in the suddenly open kicker competition.
Notable Injuries, Absences
Combat Ducks running back Noah Whittington, left, breaks past Fighting Ducks defensive back Jahlil Florence and defensive back Aaron Flowers as the Fighting Ducks face off against Mighty Oregon in the Oregon Ducks spring game on April 26, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene.
There weren't a ton of injuries or absences for the Ducks that we could see during warmups, but the team was missing a few potential starters.
Both LB Devon Jackson and DL Aydin Breland were held out of the game with apparent injuries. Breland was in a walking boot, while Jackson had no discernable injury but was still in street clothes. Starting wide receiver Evan Stewart also did not play in the game despite being in full pads.
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There was also CB Jahlil Florence, who was the only player in a red, non-contact jersey for the game. Lanning said after the game that Florence was dealing with a hand injury, and the plan was to keep him limited. Despite that, Florence played a lot of the game, and was in on some tackles throughout the action.
Jerry Mixon and the Linebackers
Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Steve Stephens IV (7) celebrates with linebacker Jerry Mixon (54) after catching an interception against the Liberty Flames during the second quarter of the 2024 Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
There have been a lot of questions about the linebacker position for the Ducks, in part because of the injury to Devon Jackson and the relative thinness of the room's depth. After the game, when asked about that depth and the potential of adding a transfer, Lanning was very blunt with his answer.
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"We won't pursue anybody in the portal for a linebacker. I feel really good about our linebacker group, I like the guys we have."
He should have liked what he saw on Saturday, particularly from Jerry Mixon, who had seven tackles, one sack, and 2.5 tackles for loss. Guys like Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, and Kamar Mothudie also played very well. Veteran linebacker Bryce Boettcher also played very little in this game, so the young LBs were able to stand out and show what they're capable of.
The Punting Problem
Dec 28, 2022; San Diego, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks punter Ross James (92) punts during the second half of the 2022 Holiday Bowl against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Similar to the kicker position, there were very few questions about the punter spot at Oregon, with Ross James putting up some of the best punting stats in the nation over the past two years. However, he looked nothing like the 2024 version of himself on Saturday, punting three times for 94 yards for an average of just about 31 yards. One of his punts was a complete shank, traveling just 12 yards before going out of bounds.
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It was a poor performance, and it led Lanning to joke about potentially addressing the position in the transfer portal. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen, but it's clear that Lanning was not happy with the punting performance on Saturday.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Football: Major takeaways from Ducks' successful spring game
