Much has been said about the Oregon Ducks ' standout true freshmen during the 2025 season, with the running back duo of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. along with wide receiver Dakorien Moore heavily impacting the offense while cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. was an absolute star on the defensive side of the ball.
But a player who hasn't been talked about as much is linebacker Nasir Wyatt , who served as a pass rush and blitz specialist last season in limited reps. He was on the field for 39 total defensive snaps, to be exact — a small fraction of the Ducks' defensive snaps considering they played in 15 games.
Normally, a player who averaged just 2.6 snaps per game wouldn't come into his next season with high expectations, but that's not the case for Wyatt. And it's not just that he was a four-star recruit and the No. 18 linebacker in the 2025 class, per 247 Sports Composite. It's not just his 6-foot-2, 228-pound frame with explosion and speed. Rather, it's the product that the California native put on the field in his limited snaps.
In 2025, he finished with 11 tackles, seven quarterback pressures, four tackles for loss, three sacks (third on the team) and a forced fumble — again, all in just 39 total snaps, a mark that starting edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti routinely surpassed in a single game.
To say that Wyatt gave everything he had in the limited reps that he saw is an understatement. But for Wyatt to take the next step and be on the field for snaps, there's certain parts of his game that he'll have to work on.
"I think he's just got to continue to grow and develop in his knowledge of the scheme," Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said in an exclusive interview with the Bleav in Oregon Podcast . "He has to show that he can play on first down versus run, second down versus run, which I think he can. I'm fired up about him. I think everyone in the organization is. I think this guy can have a big season for us. We're happy that he's here, and he's working extremely hard in the offseason. I can tell from some of the meetings we've had that his knowledge and IQ has tremendously skyrocketed since last season."
Presumably, one of the biggest things across the offseason that Wyatt can improve upon body wise is his weight. Putting on more muscle will allow him to not get pushed around by bigger players, as he entered college with a slighter frame for an edge rusher. However, making sure that he still has the same explosiveness off of the edge is paramount.
Hampton certainly believes that he can do so, touting Wyatt as someone who could have a strong campaign this fall.
"I think he can be a guy to have a breakout season for us," Hampton said. "As part of the 'who' you were talking about, you know, when you asked about what's the defense going to look like? Think a lot depends on guys like Nas, and how they continue to develop."
The entire defensive line is coming back, with Tuioti and Uiagalelei being joined by defensive tackles Bear Alexander and A'Mauri Washington. But with that, much of the depth behind them departed, leaving Wyatt and several other holdovers, along with multiple transfers, to pick up the slack behind the starters.
While there isn't necessarily pressure, as Wyatt will be just a true sophomore next season, the onus is on him to become a more well-rounded player so that he can be on the field and do exactly what he did last season, but at a higher rate: wreak havoc upon opposing offenses.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion s.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Chris Hampton claims Nasir Wyatt is primed for 'breakout season'
