Story byZachary Neel, Ducks WireMon, January 19, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC·2 min readThe Oregon Ducks' 2025 season ended in frustrating fashion for Dan Lanning and his team, but it didn't take long for fans to turn the page to 2026. In the days following a loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinals, Oregon secured the return of a long list of elite starters — led by the likes of QB Dante Moore and DT A'Mauri Washington, both of whom were projected first-round NFL draft picks — and revamped the roster for what should be a special run in 2026. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWith all of this news, Oregon fans started thinking about three words that defined the upcoming season: "Natty or Bust." Whether warranted or not, it quickly became clear that the Ducks had high expectations for the upcoming season. However, it appears that the expectations aren't quite as high nationwide for Oregon. On Monday morning, On3 released its first preseason top-25 rankings for the 2026 season. While it is incredibly early for this, given that the transfer portal is still open and many top-ranked players are still looking for a home, these early rankings do give us a good idea of who to pay attention to going into the new season. Oregon came in at No. 6 in the nation — a solid spot, but far below where many Duck fans probably expected. The usual suspects are leading the way, with Ohio State at No.
