It's Monday so here's my latest article. I appreciate all of you reading and I do love the conversation that happens below as well. If you can please subscribe as that helps me with the all-mighty algorithm but just reading also helps.

https://open.substack.com/pub/marshduck/p/will-2026-be-the-best-passing-attack?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=8foswi

Go Ducks!

Thanks, David. I always enjoy Monday with Marsh.

Do you have any feedback on WR Iverson Hooks? He was being compared to Tez Johnson before spring practice, but he seems to have disappeared.

The parts are there. Hopefully everything comes together.

I'm hoping for an end-of-the-season bang, not a whimper.

3 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

Thanks, David. I always enjoy Monday with Marsh.

I agree with Jon on the above!

If there was EVER a year for the balance of the offense to be tilted towards the passing game....this is IT. If Oregon does not have their best passing year--then it will be one of their best passing years ever. I get the sense the Mehringer wants to showcase his "NFL Offense" as he referred to in interviews, and the NFL is a passing league.

We are SO loaded at WR, and add an experienced QB, and it SHOUTS an exciting year in the passing game. In many respects--Bair does not have to learn a ton of the playbook because he is already named one of the fastest players in CFB so we can send him long often. Remember he can jump so high that the top of his head is EVEN with a basketball basket rim, and he is 6'3" and built like an outside linebacker--so he can fight off the DBs.

If there was anyone who looks the part to throw long to....or use as a decoy to stretch the defense....this is the guy. It would open up SO MUCH for the other receivers! Fun topic David!

Gatlin Bair

O line will be the key. Give Dante time to pass. Plus RBs are deep and talented. O line can make all the skill positions a total nightmare for any defense in the country.

Our D can give the O that many more possessions

3 hours ago, Jon Joseph said:

Do you have any feedback on WR Iverson Hooks? He was being compared to Tez Johnson before spring practice, but he seems to have disappeared.

I thought about him... But he has disappeared.

I get the feeling he might be a Jay Harris kind of player. Someone who showed great potential and physical ability at a lower level but may not convert for Oregon with so much talent.

Or... He is still learning and finding his role and will explode on the scene come the season.

If I were to take one of those two scenarios right now in afraid I'd take the first.

I get a sense he was picked up for his potential and not for the need.

17 minutes ago, David Marsh said:

I thought about him... But he has disappeared.

I get the feeling he might be a Jay Harris kind of player. Someone who showed great potential and physical ability at a lower level but may not convert for Oregon with so much talent.

Or... He is still learning and finding his role and will explode on the scene come the season.

If I were to take one of those two scenarios right now in afraid I'd take the first.

I get a sense he was picked up for his potential and not for the need.

Or...he emerges like Malik Benson did late in the season due to WR injuries. Gotta love depth!

Iverson Hooks at UAB...

11 hours ago, JDuck said:

O line will be the key. Give Dante time to pass. Plus RBs are deep and talented.

I haven't seen a lot of detailed breakdown on the 2026 OL yet this off-season; and, with all the shuffling around, the Spring game apparently didn't provide much insight. From what I've gathered, the OT situation is about the opposite of last season though.

The replacement OT last year came in as solid run blockers with questions about consistency in pass protection (World with the ability to anchor against power rushers and Harkey with questions about lateral mobility against speed rushers).

This year, both Crader and Gernorris (if it ends up being Wilson at RT), both come in with purported strong skill sets as pass blockers (with both so far considered greater works in progress as run blockers).

While not exactly much evidence of anything, we do have one start by Gernorris against Iowa where he received an 82.8 PFF pass blocking grade (54.1 run blocking) and Crader 85.4 pass blocking (44.6 run blocking) against USC. So, maybe a small bit of confirming evidence?

I think both Ponch and Luli have graded out well as pass blockers. Not sure about the other spot; but, if it is Utu, Tofi, or Iheanacho, it will be a giant (330+ pound) highly rated kid with strong feet.

With Fox having up to three more years at LT, it sort of makes sense one of Tofi and Nacho starts out as a RT and the other OG? All could be shifted aroung down the road? It seems like the makings of an OL that has some struggles early on, getting everyone up in arms, but by the end if the year develops a lot. It could also be 5 OL starters all as original Duck HS recruits, without a transfer or JC. Maybe the first time since 2017? That is been put as a big plus in overall OL play in some analysis.

Edited June 30Jun 30 by AnotherOD

I posted this video under Podcast. Nice information about the front lines. Overall look of the team.

If you’re evaluating the Oregon Ducks heading into 2026 based on who left, you’re missing the bigger picture.

In this video, I break down why the 2026 Oregon roster isn’t taking a step back — it’s structurally positioned to take a step forward.

Most offseason conversations focus on NFL departures and lost production. But elite roster building isn’t about subtraction… it’s about alignment. Are premium positions stable? Is the quarterback ascending? Is the offensive line resetting or refining? Is the defense layered or dependent?

We dive deep into:

• Why Oregon’s offensive line continuity (including Iapani “Pancho” Laloulu, Dave Iuli, and Douglas Utu) matters more than people realize

• Why the Ducks may return the best defensive line in college football

• How Dan Lanning has structured this roster for sustainability, not volatility

• The real difference between 2025’s explosive offense and what 2026 could become

• Why Dante Moore’s Year 2 leap is the single biggest variable in Oregon’s championship ceiling

This isn’t a “hype” video. It’s a structural breakdown of how Oregon is built — and why situational execution, not raw talent, determined the biggest games last season.

If Moore eliminates catastrophic mistakes and speeds up his processing, the identity of this team changes from explosive-but-volatile to efficient-and-inevitable. And that’s when a contender becomes a standard.

If you’re a fan of the Oregon Ducks, Big Ten football, or deep roster analysis — this one’s for you.

18 hours ago, Charles Fischer said:

Or...he emerges like Malik Benson did late in the season due to WR injuries. Gotta love depth!

Iverson Hooks at UAB...

I agree. I think he will emerge this year. I guess time will tell in those first 4 games how he will be used.

"As for Hooks' role with the Ducks, the former UAB star could be the third or fourth option at wide receiver next season. When Oregon kicks off its 2026 season against the Boise State Broncos on Sept. 5 at Autzen Stadium, it’ll be interesting to see the role that Hooks has at wide receiver and the impact he’ll have. 

Oregon's first four games of its 2026 season include two road tests against the Oklahoma State Cowboys and USC Trojans, where Hooks could make an impact in the wide receiver rotation."

"At wide receiver he brings four years of experience with UAB, in which he was one of the top players at his position in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). In his four seasons with the Blazers, Hooks collected 97 receptions for 1,225 yards and 10 touchdowns."

Quacking the Roster: WR Transfer Iverson Hooks

Film review of Hooks’ 2024 and 2025 seasons at UAB

Addicted To Quack

Quacking the Roster: Oregon Ducks Football WR Transfer Iv...

Film review of Hooks’ 2024 and 2025 seasons at UAB

Thanks for the article David. The names you dropped for pass catchers is ridiculous. If these guys play to their ceiling, this could be the best room in the nation, maybe ever.

The first question I have is how much does the game slow down for Donte. How has his game elevated in managing the O. Can he be better a reading the D pre snap and with the ball in play.

My second question is the tackle position. Gotta give Moore 3 Mississippi minimum. This is a young O line outside of center and right guard.

Terry, as a coach, has earned benefit of doubt for sure. Top O line coach in the business imo. So it's not realy a concern, but it has my attention.

I think this passing game comes down to Moores development and how Terry builds and develops this young O line.

The guys catching the ball are all Dudes! Maybe 1 or 2 secondaries in the country will be able to keep up. Gunna be a lot of Snoopy Dancin' for Duck fans this year

21 minutes ago, Log Haulin said:

Thanks for the article David. The names you dropped for pass catchers is ridiculous. If these guys play to their ceiling, this could be the best room in the nation, maybe ever.

The first question I have is how much does the game slow down for Donte. How has his game elevated in managing the O. Can he be better a reading the D pre snap and with the ball in play.

My second question is the tackle position. Gotta give Moore 3 Mississippi minimum. This is a young O line outside of center and right guard.

Terry, as a coach, has earned benefit of doubt for sure. Top O line coach in the business imo. So it's not realy a concern, but it has my attention.

I think this passing game comes down to Moores development and how Terry builds and develops this young O line.

The guys catching the ball are all Dudes! Maybe 1 or 2 secondaries in the country will be able to keep up. Gunna be a lot of Snoopy Dancin' for Duck fans this year

Log, it's good to have you back Haulin' on the Forum! 👍👌

Troy knows it will be facing a robust Oregon Offense -

https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/07/02/oregon-offensive-coordinator-drew-mehringer-knows-dan-lanning-goals/90696150007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=

Don't forget the D-Fence -

https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/trojans/football/2026/07/02/usc-receivers-win-oregon-brandon-finney-week-5/90736729007/?utm_source=smg-trojanswire-strada&utm_medium=email&utm_campaig

The short answer is YES!

If not, it was a coaching shortfall (failure).

Go Ducks.