From the Ground Up: Oregon’s Freshman Revolution

The Oregon Ducks have one of the best classes of true freshmen in the country. CB Brandon Finney Jr, WR Dakorien Moore, RB Dierre Hill Jr, and RB Jordon Davison are working to help lead the Ducks back to the college football playoff this season, and hopefully much further when it’s all said and done.

But how has this all come together? Why is this class different than any other class since the Dan Lanning era began in 2022? The answer is simple… culture. It has been a slow process that Lanning and his staff have been building since day one, and it’s paying off in a big way.

The Culture on the Team Has Made This Possible

If you ask the young Oregon players, they will all credit the veterans for helping them this season. “There’s no envy in the room,” said Dierre Hill Jr. during a press conference on Wednesday. “We all lean on each other, especially me and Jordon, we lean on guys like Jayden Limar and Noah Whittington. Guys that have been here and know the playbook, know the system. We lean on those guys and they have helped us tremendously.”

Hill continued, “They see us as their little brothers and when we’re out there they’re trying to coach us up and help us as well. So like just being able to have them transition us in and know we can play, it just helps us and builds our confidence and shoots it through the roof knowing that our big brothers are helping us and want to see us succeed as well.”

It’s not just the players, but also former players like Kenjon Barner. “He’s an amazing mentor. I had a full spring to talk to him and just get to know him and he was here coaching us as well, giving us pointers and tips,” said Hill. “It’s really been great, especially him being an Oregon legend, it’s truly a blessing to meet a guy like him.”

Lanning has really encouraged former players to return to the team and Barner has been the best example of a Duck who has poured himself back into his school.

It All Starts With Connection

Luke Basso joined the team in 2021 as a long snapper. He is one of the few players who still remains from the Mario Cristobal era of Oregon football.

He said this during the “Building” episode of the “Under Construction” series that the Ducks released before the season started, “the difference between this team and way back then was how much of a player led program it is,” he said. “I didn’t feel like as a freshman I had like a voice at all, but the big change that I’ve noticed over the last five years is how everybody on the team whether you’re a senior or a freshman can speak up and earn that respect. Also like the relationships that you have with the coaches, there’s nothing I’ve seen like it.”  

Lanning has built a culture that promotes leadership and connection, regardless of age or position on the team.

Justius Lowe is a redshirt junior and has been with the team since Lanning’s first year. “I feel like my freshman year everybody had their own little cliques and stuff and nobody really hung out with people outside their position groups, but now everybody can hang out with everybody can get along and stuff like that.”

Noah Whittington agreed, “I feel like over time the connection has definitely gotten better each year. It just became a part of our culture.”

Culture Has Taken Hold

That shift in culture at Oregon that we heard about during the “Under Construction” series is bearing fruit.

During the final episode, “Cement” we hear Lanning challenge transfer safety Dillon Thieneman, “Dillon, I’m really glad you’re on our team,” said Lanning. “You do it the right way. This is a team that will follow you if you pull them, but you’re gonna have to pull em. And if you do that, it will be really special.”

Thieneman has taken that challenge to heart. He has reportedly taken star corner Brandon Finney Jr. under his wing and helped guide him during this impressive first season for both players.

Iapani Laloulu said this about Brandon Finney Jr. during a recent press conference, “I can see him after practice getting some extra work with some of the older guys, and one thing that I did like about Brandon is that he surrounded himself with pro elite guys like Dillon Thieneman for example. I can see him every day having breakfast with him, or lunch or dinner. I can just see him connecting trying to ask questions, how do you become that elite level and what did you do to get to that part?”

Laloulu also singled out the star freshmen on offense as well, “You got multiple guys besides Brandon. Like on the offensive side you got guys like Dakorien Moore, guys like Dierre Hill and Jordon Davison, those three man.. they surprise me man. Just seeing the way they work every single day, asking questions and just not being afraid to ask questions.”

The Team Fights for Each Other

This culture and connection have built up an Oregon team that cares about each other and fights for one another.

“What stuck out to me the most is the team camaraderie, said Dierre Hill. “We’re very well put together. My brothers, we lay it out on the line each day for each other. Just seeing the growth of all of us has been great.”

Hill continued, “It’s honestly a great feeling, having guys like that I know who will go head to toe for me, and I would do the same for them,” he said. “It’s really our whole team, we’re really all like that. We want to lay it all on the line for each other because we work so hard throughout practices throughout the week. So on game day we want to showcase that.”

It’s not just the young guys who feel this way. It’s transfers like Malik Benson as well.

“I just like about this team that no matter if you’re a fifth year guy, no matter if you’re a freshman, everybody got a voice. It’s everybody’s team so it’s not that we’re just praying and hoping on the older guys that have been in the program to always say something,” he said.

“Younger guys that are stepping up like B Finney, for example, made a big play, he has a voice and him just being able to showcase his voice that just goes to show that we’re going to have a really good team,” said Benson. “When guys that you wouldn’t expect to say something, when they say something it’s like.. okay I can respect that because I can see the way that he works.”

Pushing Each Other to be Great

While it might impress the rest of the college football world, the young guys don’t care about their age. They know they have a job to do and they’re putting in the work to help get the Ducks to their final goal.

“We came here to do a job, we’re trying to push to win a national championship. We don’t care how young we are. We know that our impact has to be at a high level,” said Brandon Finney Jr. “I’m not trying to be the best freshman. I’m trying to be the best corner in America.”

They’re pushing each other to be the best versions of themselves.

Star wideout Dakorien Moore had this to say about Brandon Finney, “Just going against him, fighting every day, seeing the work that he puts in. Not even on the field, like in the weight room. He’s about his business. He carries himself like a pro already, so just trying to go against him every single day and just making myself better. I think we’re going to go a long way.”

It’s clear that if the Oregon Ducks win a national championship, these four freshmen will be at the center of it, but it was the foundation that Dan Lanning and his staff put in place for years ago that enabled these players to thrive.