Hughes, Ducks Running Backs will be Just Fine

There weren’t many surprises among the starters and key first half contributors in Oregon’s Week 1 blowout of Montana State — except for one — the near-complete absence of Makhi Hughes for the entire first half.

Hughes was brought to Eugene following the departure of Jordan James, who left behind over 1,200 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns from last season. Initially expected to be a plug-and-play option alongside Noah Whittington, Hughes was seen as a key piece in Oregon’s backfield—and when all is said and done, that duo may still lead the Ducks in rushing. But as we head into Week 2, some fans are starting to question Hughes’ role. Even so, a closer look shows there’s still plenty to be excited about in Oregon’s running back room, and Makhi is far from buried on the depth chart.

To begin, let’s start with the question on everyone’s mind — Why? Why wasn’t Makhi featured until later in the game? Why does it feel like he’s fighting for carries instead of consistently fighting off defenders as a focal point in the Ducks’ rushing attack?

I think we can rule out injury or disciplinary issues and instead turn our attention to the playbook — and the evidence is right in front of us, in the form of a quote from offensive coordinator Will Stein during an August 19th media availability.

“Makhi has done really well I’d say this fall compared to where he was in the spring just learning the system. Anytime you’re new somewhere it takes a little bit of time. I told Makhi, ‘We’re running duo, we’re running counter, we’re running outside zone — you’ve been doing this for a long time, just know what the call is and go run it,’” Stein explained.

Outside of true freshmen Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill, Hughes is surrounded by backs who have been in Eugene for at least one season and are likely more familiar with the system at this point. Starter Noah Whittington is entering his fourth year at Oregon and has worked under Stein since the coordinator arrived. Jayden Limar is now in his third season, while both Da’Jaun Riggs and Jay Harris are coming off their first year in the program.

While there are understandably high expectations for Hughes — after all, he racked up over 2,700 yards and 22 touchdowns across two seasons at Tulane — some players simply need time to settle in and build confidence within a new system. And that confidence may come when Hughes finally gets more consistent opportunities to run the ball. “There were plays that he was in, called runs, and we had heavy boxes, so the ball was thrown,” head coach Dan Lanning said during his Wednesday availability. “He was also in during the two-minute scenario, where the ball is going to be thrown a little bit more.”

Although there was plenty of excitement around Makhi Hughes heading into the season, there should be just as much surrounding the entire running back room — now led by veteran Noah Whittington.

Noah has long been the “other guy” in Oregon’s backfield. He’s played behind both Bucky Irving and Jordan James, and with the arrival of Hughes, it seemed like more of the same might be on the horizon. But instead of fading into the background, Whittington has embraced the moment and stepped into the spotlight. “I like competition regardless. I’ve been competing since I got here — it pumped me up,” Whittington said after Oregon’s Week 1 win.

A fully healthy and motivated Whittington is the best version of Noah Duck fans could hope for — and that’s a win for everyone.

When you combine Makhi still adapting to his new surroundings, Noah’s emergence as the top back, a group of hungry and really talented young players, and early season matchups that favor deep rotations to find out who will be counted on later in the season, it shouldn’t be any surprise Saturday’s running back depth chart ended up the way it did. “We have a lot of really good players, it’s going to be a challenge for us to use guys in the proper roles.” Lanning stated on Wednesday. 

Dan Lanning was asked about Makhi Hughes' role in Week 1's matchup against Montana State ⬇️

"We have a lot of really good players" pic.twitter.com/xVDoOttIni

— Ted Leroux (@TedontheDucks) September 3, 2025

A challenge for the coaching staff indeed — now it’s up to which players accept the challenge and rise to the occasion. No matter who it is, the Ducks are in a great spot.