Dan Lanning is Pioneering a New Path in College Football

The #6 Oregon Ducks just defeated the #3 Penn State Nittany Lions 30-24 on a walk-off interception in double overtime by Dillon Thieneman, the highly rated transfer from Purdue. Thieneman was part of the 4^th highest ranked class of transfer players for the Ducks, and he is one of the reasons why Oregon is now 5-0 and walking out of Happy Valley with a huge win…. But how has Oregon been able to add so many key players through the portal year after year?

Dan Lanning and his staff are at the cutting edge of roster building in college football right now. He is constructing a culture at the University of Oregon that is virtually unmatched across the NCAA (check out the “under construction” series from Oregon if you haven’t already). While coaching titans like Dabo Swinney at Clemson and the recently fired Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State are struggling to stay relevant and adapt to the ever-changing landscape of recruiting and the transfer portal, younger coaches like Lanning and Ryan Day at Ohio State are thriving. 

What makes the Ducks different? Well, for one, Lanning and his staff have never lost a starter to the transfer portal. That’s quite a feat. Very few, if any, teams can make that claim. The Ducks are using the transfer portal, recruiting, and player development to build a roster in a way that very few other programs can compare. 

Mastering the transfer portal

When Dan Lanning joined the Ducks in December of 2021, he had 26 players either transfer into Oregon or transfer off the program. 15 players left the Ducks that offseason, and Lanning went to work rebuilding his roster. He added 9 new players, which included legendary Ducks such as Bucky Irving, Bo Nix, and Christian Gonzalez. He also brought in current RB1 Noah Whittington during that 2022 transfer season. 

Since then, Lanning has been adding key players every single transfer portal. In 2023 he nearly doubled the number of players in and out, with 47 total transfers. He brought in future starters and eventual NFL talent like Jordan Burch, Tez Johnson, Ajani Cornelius, Nikko Reed, Evan Williams, Khyree Jackson, and Traeshon Holden. In 2024 it was 31 total transfers, and studs like Dillon Gabriel, Derrick Harmon, Jabbar Muhammad, Ja’Maree Caldwell, Evan Sterwart, Atticus Sappington, and current QB1 Dante Moore. 

Every single year Lanning has used the portal to bring in starters and keep the Ducks rolling, but he has been steadily lowering the number of players they’re bringing in. The 2023 portal had 16 additions, in 2024 there were 14 new players, and finally in 2025 it was only 11. Lanning is being more selective in how they spend their NIL and the caliber of players they’re adding to the roster. 

Virtually every single player the Ducks added in 2025 is a significant part of the current team. Emmanuel Pregnon, Alex Harkey, and Isaiah World are all starting on the offensive line. Before the game against Penn State, Dillon Thieneman had the third most snaps on defense at safety with 135, Jadon Canady is the 5^th highest in snaps at defensive back with 93, and Bear Alexander has the second most snaps on the defensive line with 95. The offense also heavily features Malik Benson and Jamari Johnson as two favorite targets for Dante Moore. The only disappointment thus far has been Makhi Hughes from the 2025 transfer class. 

Low churn and targeted recruiting to replenish the ranks

Another area that Oregon stands out is recruiting. Lanning has consistently put up top classes since he joined the Ducks in 2021. While his first recruiting season was hurried as the new head coach and a short time to sell players on what he was going to build, the 2022 class was ranked 11^th nationally with 15 total commits and 0 five stars. In 2023 the Ducks had the 7^th ranked class and Lanning boosted it up to 30 total commits and 2 five stars. 

By the 2024 recruiting class, the Ducks were ranked 3^rd in the country and had 27 total commits, including 1 five star player and 18 four stars. That showed a steadily changing strategy though, as Oregon was beginning to narrow their focus and target only the very best players to add to their roster. In 2025 the Ducks only recruited 18 players total, which included 3 five star players and was the 4^th best class in the country. 

Now for 2026, they’re once again looking at a smaller class of 17 current commits and 4 five stars, which is presently ranked as the 4^th best class. This trend matches the transfer portal. The 2023 recruiting class and transfer portal was Oregon’s highest under Lanning. 16 players transferred into Oregon that offseason and 30 players committed through recruiting. In 2024 it was 14 transfers and 27 recruits. Finally in 2025 they added 11 players in the portal and 18 through recruiting. 

Compare these to some of the other top programs in the country – in 2025 Oregon had by far the fewest overall commits of the top 10 classes with 18. Texas had 25 commits, Georgia with 28 commits, Ohio State with 26 commits, and Michigan with 24. The average number of commits for the top 10 classes was 24 and this isn’t a fluke. Oregon only has 17 commits for 2026 with the 4^th ranked class, while USC is #1 with 32 commits, Georgia is #2 with 31 commits, and Notre Dame is ranked #3 with 27 commits. 

It will be interesting to see how many players transfer out of these schools who have a high number of incoming recruits, now that the NCAA is limiting the total number of players on a roster to 105. 

Why are the Ducks trending towards smaller classes?

Part of it is NIL. The Ducks have to be mindful of how they spend their money. Despite what the rest of the college football world seems to think, Oregon doesn’t have unlimited funds to add players. They have to spend wisely with what they do have and not throw everything at one or two players. The money is better spent in the transfer portal where Lanning and staff have shown to be among the very best in college football at acquiring talent that contributes right away. 

Oregon’s success is also about developing the players they do bring in, whether it’s in the portal or through recruiting. While the 2025 transfer class has played a huge role in the current success of the Ducks, there are also a number of starters who came from previous classes. 2022 had Noah Whittington, in 2023 it was Gary Bryant Jr, and 2024 had Dante Moore and Peyton Woodyard, as well as Atticus Sappington, Jay Harris, and Matthew Bedford. Not all transfers contribute right away, but many of them do end up contributing. 

More importantly it’s about retaining your recruits and developing them. Lanning said this on Trey Wingo’s podcast this week, “I think retention has been a huge winner for us. This is the 4^th year here for us now and we haven’t lost a single starter to the transfer portal. We have been able to retain the players who have done a really good job on our roster. They enjoy being here. They feel like they’re being developed, that’s big. But then the development of young players, to be able to go step in and create bigger roles or a guy like Kenyon Sadiq to maybe grow over time and grow in his role. That’s been a big winner for us when you’re able to keep players like that around and see them grow and develop throughout the program.” 

Lanning also said this about development, “you have to have honest conversations, you have to have guys that do have a growth mindset, and you don’t always know that in recruiting but you have to have guys that are like ‘ok I see the path for me to play coach, I see where I’m gonna grow,’ and that’s paid huge dividends for us. I think it always says a couple things, one – guys enjoy being here, they feel like they’re being developed, they like the people they’re around, and they’re taken care of. If any of those things are missing, I think that’s the recipe to find somebody go to another program.” 

Final Thoughts 

The 2025 recruiting class has been huge so far for Oregon. The Ducks have already given significant snaps to a number of true freshmen on both sides of the football.  Oregon will continue to bring in smaller classes from recruiting and the portal, with guys who fit the culture and want to be developed. Some of them might play right away and contribute, while others might ride the bench initially, but if they have the right mindset they will grow and develop and be a part of future Duck teams. Lanning has a clear picture of the type of player he wants and the vast majority of those players are seeing massive success for Oregon and many are also going on to the NFL. 

While some schools are throwing huge numbers at recruits, the Ducks will continue to spend wisely and target the players that they know will fit their system and their culture. That mindset will continue to have success on the field and is much more sustainable for the future of Oregon football, but if the Ducks need to adapt once again, you can count on Lanning to make that adjustment.