Joel Klatt: Oregon isn't going anywhere despite questions entering 2025

Oregon was the best team in all of college football over the course of last season as they went 13-1, won the Big Ten Championship, and were the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. Now, despite some the roster turnover they’ve experienced in Eugene, Joel Klatt doesn’t doubt the Ducks will be right back at that level this fall.

During his show on Monday, Klatt released the ranking of his Preseason Top-25. That included a rating of Oregon just inside the top-five nationally, which was based mostly on the kind of talent acquisition they’ve had the past three cycles to have the team that they still do going into this season.

“No. 5 Oregon,” Klatt stated.

“They’ve got a team that is replacing a lot from a year ago – 18 starters across both sides of the ball. But, but, this is why they’re at the back of that next tier. It’s a team that, and a program that has built themselves in recruiting and has one of the most talented rosters in the sport. It’s an elite-level roster. They’ve hit the portal. They’ve recruited high school.”

Oregon lost several starters this offseason at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, several linemen on both sides, and other names along their defense. Still, having a top-ten recruiting class in each of the past three cycles, including a top-five recruiting class in each of the past two, as well as a top-twenty class in the portal in each of the last three offseasons, including top-five ones in the last two, the Ducks are still plenty talented from top to bottom throughout the lineup.

With that, Klatt started by taking a look at their offense, namely with the insertion of their new starting quarterback in QB Dante Moore. However, even with a talented incoming transfer at running back, the Ducks will be having to break in new targets for him along with a new combination of offensive line around him.

“They’ve got a quarterback that, yes, is not that experienced, but I think he’s very talented,” said Klatt. “Dante Moore takes over for Dillon Gabriel. He got to sit behind Gabriel last year and learn. He’s a former five-star. He played right away at UCLA a couple of years ago. That didn’t go great. That UCLA team was not good enough. Now he’s gotten to sit there and learn under Dillon Gabriel, under Will Stein – the offensive coordinator. That’s going to be huge.

“Now, offensively, the one thing that I don’t love, and why I put them at the backside of their tier of teams, is because they lost Evan Stewart. He went down with a knee injury in the summer. That means that their true freshman, the five-star player, Dakorien Moore? He’s gonna have to make a huge impact early on.”

Klatt then had no problems at all with their defense. That’s with the Ducks returning slightly more defensively, with, among others, their leader in tackles with LB Bryce Boettcher and in sacks and forced fumbles with LB Matayo Uiagalelei back, from a unit that was a top-twenty unit last year in allowing just 19.4 points and 315.9 yards per game.

“(Dan) Lanning, Tosh Lupoi? They know what they’re doing on defense,” Klatt said simply.

Oregon was very disappointed in the postseason as, after going undefeated in thirteen games over four months, they lost their playoff game at The Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Still, having improved over three seasons and now entering year four under Lanning, there’s no reason to think the Ducks will drop off too much, with Klatt having them as the fifth-best team coming into this season.

“Oregon? They’re not going anywhere,” said Klatt. “Can’t wait for them this year. They’re at number five.”