Joel Klatt addresses Oregon's ranking in Way-Too-Early Top-10

A season after spending the entire season in the top-ten, with a majority of that as the top team in the nation, Joel Klatt has Oregon right back in the top-five for 2025.

Klatt discussed the Ducks being at No. 5 in his Way-Too-Early Top-10 during his show last week. That came with him noting that they very well could make a case for any spot in the top-five, including the top overall slot again.

“You know how I feel about Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks,” said Klatt. “I think, candidly, they could go a lot higher than this. It wouldn’t, I wouldn’t argue – someone could talk me into them at two, someone could talk me into them at three. Someone could probably talk me into Oregon at one, to be candid.”

That’s because of the program that Lanning has built at Oregon. It’s one that is full of talent after three straight top-ten recruiting classes, including the last two in the top-five, and two straight top-ten classes in the transfer portal per On3.

“Lanning has built this thing the right way. He knows how to win,” said Klatt. “They did really well in the portal. They’re doing great in recruiting.”

The one question for Klatt going into next season, though, is how the transition goes from Dillon Gabriel, the most experienced quarterback in the history of the sport, to Dante Moore, who has pedigree and some experience but almost none last fall after transferring in. Still, he expects it to be successful considering the year he just had as the backup.

“They’ve got to replace Dillon Gabriel. But, remember, they got his replacement last year in the portal when they got Dante Moore to transfer from UCLA up to Eugene. So now Dante Moore, who has started a bunch of football games as a true freshman for the Bruins? Now he’s going to be the quarterback,” said Klatt. “He’s got the experience and he was able to sit for a year, watch Dillon Gabriel who started more football games than anyone in the history of college football, and he was able to study under Will Stein, the offensive coordinator. So this could be a really easy, smooth transition. Now does he have that elite level of experience that I love in quarterbacks? No, not quite. But he’s got some and some is better than none obviously.”

Oregon has improved in each season so far under Lanning. That’s not stopping either with the Ducks in the top-five for Klatt in ’25.

“Oregon is going to be very good, folks,” said Klatt. “They’re going to be very good.”