JD PicKell: Oregon primed to take next step toward CFP field in 2023

Oregon had a wildly successful season under first-year head coach Dan Lanning in 2022, going 10-3 and beating North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl. It’s a foundation that On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks is ready to be built upon.

With quarterback Bo Nix back and the influx of talent that Lanning has brought in should have the Ducks in the hunt for a Pac 12 title, according to PicKell. And more than that, Oregon can get in position for a College Football Playoff berth — but the conference championship is first and foremost.

“But that has to be the next step you take. Because the Pac 12, in my opinion, is very winnable. I know Utah’s got that thing in a strange hold for the last two years. I know Cam Rising’s coming back. But the styles that they play, Oregon and USC, I think, have a good shot to potentially claim the crown. I just believe in Dan Lanning. I believe in his way of doing things. I believe he’s building an SEC team in Eugene with how physical they’re going to be in the trenches. With how they’re going to run the football.”

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More than anything, though, PicKell hammered home how critical it is to have Nix returning for another season.

“And they got the quarterback. That’s the biggest thing,” PicKell said. “You got the quarterback right now.”

There is one specific weakness that Oregon needs to improve upon, PicKell said: Pass defense.

The Ducks ranked 102nd nationally in passing defense when the season wrapped up, surrendering more than 250 yards per game through the air. Against a Pac 12 slate loaded with talented passers, that simply won’t cut it.

“Let’s be real: That cost you the game against Washington,” PicKell said. “I need to see some improvement on the backend. Whether they do it in the portal, whether they’re playing guys that were backups last year and just are more talented. Dan Lanning is a defensive guy, so I think they’re going to be able to fix that over the course of another offseason. Or at least shore that up a little bit.”