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Ducks crack the top 5 of 2025 transfer portal class re-rank
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- Ducks crack the top 5 of 2025 transfer portal class re-rank
Earlier this year, the Oregon Ducks used the transfer portal primarily to add depth and fill the occasional starting spot. It was a solid, talented group but not one that is viewed as monumental towards the team's success this fall, as the Ducks returned as many as nine draft-eligible players and saw just seven players get drafted into the NFL, the lowest mark in three years.
But after the 2025 draft, which saw a record ten Oregon standouts selected, the roster needed a serious infusion of veteran talent. So, Dan Lanning and his coaching staff got to work, receiving 11 commitments and eventually landing the No. 5 transfer portal class, per 247 Sports.
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In The Athletic's re-rank of the 2025 transfer portal classes , the Ducks' group lived up to expectations, still finishing at No. 5.
"It's hard to argue that a program got more bang for its buck than the Ducks," Manny Navarro wrote. "Nine of the 11 transfers became starters, including four All-Big Ten selections in safety Dillon Thieneman (Purdue), defensive lineman Bear Alexander (USC), left tackle Isaiah World and left guard Emmanuel Pregnon (USC). Five transfers were drafted, headlined by Thieneman in the first round. The only miss in the class was former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, who is now at Houston . Alexander and tight end Jamari Johnson are back in 2026."
Looking back at the class, it's eye-opening how many slam-dunk additions there were.
Hughes was a miss, while senior cornerback Theran Johnson didn't provide much of an impact. But the bookends of the offensive line were sealed, with World and Alex Harkey operating those spots. Pregnon was a first-team All-American. Wide receiver Malik Benson emerged late in the season and led the Ducks in receiving yards. Backup tight end Jamari Johnson finished in the top ten in the nation in receiving yards at his position — and that's just on the offensive side of the ball.
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Thieneman developed into a first-round pick, while slot corner Jadon Canady has a chance to start for the Kansas City Chiefs after a strong senior season in the secondary. Alexander blossomed with the Ducks, becoming one of the top defensive tackles in the Big Ten and a potential Day 2 pick in 2027. Heck, even punter James Ferguson-Reynolds was awesome, as he downed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and converted a fake punt for a first down.
All of it lends itself to be a bona-fide top five transfer portal class both at the time and in hindsight.
The only teams that fell ahead of the Ducks in the re-rank were the Indiana Hoosiers , Texas Tech Red Raiders , Ole Miss Rebels and Miami Hurricanes . Both the Hoosiers and Red Raiders largely remade their roster with portal additions, namely in Heisman-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and edge rusher David Bailey, the No. 1 and 2 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
It's hard to argue with that, but having welcomed just 11 transfers in and seeing massive amounts of success from nine of them, The Athletic's Navarro is right in saying that the Ducks got the most bang for their buck in the 2025 transfer portal.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where Oregon lands in a 2025 transfer portal class re-rank
