ESPN analyst says Oregon headed in the right direction under Dan Lanning

Oregon finished its season on a high note, defeating North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl and putting a nice cap on Year One of Dan Lanning. Considering the opening blowout against Georgia, the Ducks were able to respond well and put together a 10-win season.

ESPN analyst Greg McElroy believes Oregon is heading in the right direction under Lanning. Quarterback Bo Nix was a nice surprise throughout most of the year, having them in College Football Playoff conversations for a short while. With him returning, there’s reason to believe in what’s happening in Eugene.

“I think it’s time to be very optimistic about what Dan Lanning has got going,” McElroy said. “They withstood what was a disappointing Week 1 game, got hot. Bo Nix got a little banged up, didn’t great down the stretch, did okay.”

Stacking talent is how any program is going to have continued success. Lanning knows firsthand, being the defensive coordinator for Georgia and helping head coach Kirby Smart put together some monster recruiting classes.

Lanning is trying to replicate the feat out west with Oregon and got off to a solid start with the 2023 cycle. McElroy also points out landing national recruits could have been difficult for the Ducks with the future of the Pac-12 hanging in the balance.

“Lanning goes out, lands the No. 8 recruiting class in the country,” McElroy said. “Clearly, things are going in the right direction if you’re Oregon. Especially knowing some of the uncertainty that surrounds Oregon. ‘Are they going to be in the Pac-12? Are they leaving?’ To go out and land a top eight class, got to feel good how Dan Lanning attacked it on the recruiting trail.”

Of course, McElroy is using ESPN’s recruiting rankings for Oregon’s class number. According to the On3 Consensus, the Ducks finished with the No. 9 ranked class. So, still inside the top 10 and highest in the Pac-12. Not shabby for a first-year head coach in Lanning.

Some talent has been brought in through the NCAA transfer portal as well. Lanning still has deep ties in the SEC and has cashed in on some high-level players wanting to head to the Pacific Northwest. Alongside the freshmen, a huge transfer talent influx will be heading into the program.

Oregon will have the opportunity to accumulate early-season momentum, mainly due to Georgia not being on the schedule. A road game against Texas Tech will be the main nonconference showdown, where Lanning will be looking to showcase what the Ducks could look like in Year Two.