ESPN released its official top 100 players list ahead of the college football season on Wednesday morning. It’s a list made by numerous college football experts at ESPN, highlighting some of the key players to keep an eye on next season. The Oregon Ducks managed to have three players make the list.
All three Oregon players were listed within the top 44, with two of them on defense and one on offense. The three Ducks named are safety Dillon Thieneman (No. 44), running back Makhi Hughes (No. 30), and defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei (No. 20). Uiagalelei has some serious hype entering the 2025-26 campaign, and ESPN explained why that is the case.
“Uiagalelei was an All-Big Ten selection as a sophomore, his first season as a starter for the Ducks, as he led the league during the regular season with 10.5 sacks. The Ducks lost several key players off last season’s defense, including tackle Derrick Harmon, a first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. But Uiagalelei is a big reason the Ducks could be just as disruptive up front after ranking third in the Big Ten with 40 sacks in 2024.”
The other two players on the list are transfers Dan Lanning and the Ducks landed this offseason. Thieneman is a stud of a safety coming from Purdue, who aims to play an integral role in Oregon’s secondary. Dillon Thieneman joins his new team after recording 104 combined tackles (70 solo), five tackles for a loss, and one sack last season. He also has six career interceptions at Purdue.
Meanwhile, Hughes is pegged as one of the better running backs in the nation, giving Oregon a vital weapon out of the backfield. Makhi Hughes proved to be a bruiser of a running back during his time at Tulane, as ESPN claims he broke 38 tackles last season, which was the same number as North Carolina standout Omarion Hampton. Hughes finished his final year at Tulane with 1,401 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns (15 rushing).
These three should make plenty of noise for the Ducks next season as Oregon aims to make a deep run in the College Football Playoff. The race to the postseason is a wide-open race, and winning the national championship would be the first in school history.
Benedetto Vitale has nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, with expertise in covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and UFC. The Oregon alumni resides in Corvallis, Oregon, and has previous bylines at BroBible and Athlon Sports.
