The storyline of Oregon dealing with a Miami group led by former coach Mario Cristobal within the School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship Recreation would have been juicy, nevertheless it wasn’t meant to be. No. 1 seed Indiana demolished the No. 5 seed Geese 56-22 in Friday evening’s Peach Bowl, sending Oregon’s second consecutive 13-win season to an abrasive finish.
Whereas the 2025 marketing campaign introduced the Geese’ second straight CFP look and third straight 12+ win season underneath fourth-year coach Dan Lanning, it additionally lacked substance. Oregon’s 11-1 common season featured only one win in opposition to a group that completed within the ultimate CFP rankings. The Geese confirmed a lofty ceiling at instances, however a poor run of well being and a pair of double-digit losses to Indiana obscured the 2025 group’s full potential.
Lanning, 39, is a outstanding 48-8 with the Geese and not a “rising” star. With 4 years of nice recruiting and on-field outcomes to his monitor file, he is clearly a top-10 coach in school soccer. He’ll nonetheless enter the 2026 season with important packing containers on his profession accomplishment listing nonetheless unchecked.
The Geese have but to play for a nationwide championship underneath Lanning and have been obliterated by convention rivals within the CFP the previous two seasons. Now, he’s dropping each his coordinators and can probably be on the lookout for his fourth quarterback in 5 years.
When Cristobal left Oregon for Miami after the 2021 season, the Geese gained the breakup by hiring Lanning, who was nice from the bounce. In the meantime, Cristobal struggled to a 12-13 mark over his first two seasons with the ‘Canes. However now it is the ‘Canes on the cusp of a championship breakthrough. What can Oregon do to create one among its personal?
Oregon’s coordinator modifications
For the primary time since taking up at Oregon in 2022, Lanning will not have defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi with him subsequent season. Lupoi has accepted the top teaching job at Cal, which is able to depart the Geese with out one of many key architects of their rise to energy.
Lanning did not must go far with a purpose to discover Lupoi’s alternative. Chris Hampton, who has been this system’s co-defensive coordinator for the previous three years, is sliding into the DC chair. Hampton is thought to be an elite recruiter and defensive backs coach, and he was beforehand a solo defensive coordinator at Tulane.
Oregon can be selling from inside to switch offensive coordinator Will Stein, who’s leaving to turn into Kentucky’s head coach. Former co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Drew Mehringer is getting into the lead coordinator place.
This will probably be Lanning’s second time changing an offensive coordinator after he employed Stein to switch Kenny Dillingham following the 2022 season. Nailing a 3rd rent in a row on the place will probably be paramount for Lanning, who has by no means needed to substitute each coordinators in the identical offseason.
It isn’t an excellent situation, however elevating Hampton and Mehringer ought to hold the ground excessive. Selling from inside additionally seems to be minimizing the quantity of roster departures that may usually accompany the simultaneous departure of two coordinators. Nevertheless, it will likely be attention-grabbing to see what number of Geese find yourself following Lupoi and Stein to their new locations.
What’s clear is that Oregon ought to as soon as once more have the payroll to maintain the gamers it desires to maintain. The nation’s No. 3 highschool recruiting class can be on the best way.
New quarterback coming?
Lanning is unquestionably changing a pair of coordinators. He might also be on the lookout for a brand new quarterback. Dante Moore ranks No. 2 within the CBS Sports activities NFL Draft Prospect Rankings following a standout redshirt sophomore season.
It is arduous to think about Moore’s poor efficiency within the Fiesta Bowl inflicting sufficient harm to his popularity to make him drop considerably within the eyes of NFL scouts. The 2026 draft class just isn’t thought to be notably robust at QB, which suggests this can be a good time for Moore to strike.
If he does declare for the draft, Oregon will must be aggressive in making an attempt for an additional portal prize on the place. Auburn switch Bo Nix and Oklahoma switch Dillon Gabriel had been veterans who carried Oregon by means of the primary three seasons of Lanning’s tenure with good outcomes. Moore broke the mildew in 2025 after transferring to Oregon following a rocky freshman season at UCLA. He redshirted in 2024 after which performed properly in 2025 whereas serving to shepherd the Geese by means of a sequence of accidents that obtained notably unhealthy at receiver.
There is not one other younger expertise like Moore on the 2025 Oregon roster who’s clearly able to step in and be the the man. And choices are already getting slim within the portal after guys like Sam Leavitt and Dylan Raiola. The Geese have loads of cash they may use to make returning to varsity soccer an attention-grabbing proposition for Moore. However given his draft inventory, most gamers in Moore’s place would flip professional.
Waiting for 2026
Changing a quarterback and two coordinators in the identical 12 months is not any small job. It may be finished within the 12-team playoff period for the reason that expanded discipline provides transitioning groups extra margin for error as they gel. The 2024 Ohio State group that gained the nationwide championship is an ideal instance. These Buckeyes had new faces in the identical three key positions (OC, DC, QB). Although it misplaced two common season video games, Ohio State figured it out on the proper time to be the final group standing.
Retention was the important thing for these Buckeyes, who obtained a number of key gamers again who may have entered the NFL Draft. Oregon’s 2026 outlook has already benefitted from the return bulletins of draft-caliber gamers like defensive finish Bear Alexander and middle Iapani Laloulu. If sufficient others observe swimsuit and Oregon will get its quarterback scenario resolved in a passable method, this program has all the things else it must compete for Massive Ten and nationwide titles subsequent season.
