True freshmen contributors headlined the Oregon Ducks’ 2025 season, but 2026 has, at times, featured a slow start when it comes to how many snaps the top-five recruiting class has earned.
Through six games, true freshmen are not just beginning to earn more trust, but they’re doing more with their gameday reps. Among the young players beginning to grab the attention of fans is offensive lineman Tommy Tofi, who played a key part in Oregon’s 17-14 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Tommy Tofi’s Big Performance Against Nebraska
After offensive line coach A’lique Terry helped the Ducks’ “Law Firm” to three straight Joe Moore Award finalist lists, the unit up front has been a key cause for concern through six games.
Terry and coach Dan Lanning have struggled to find the right combination of five players in the trenches. When one offensive lineman has made a mistake, fans have seen a completely different player make a mistake on the next snap more than once.
The coaching staff decided to make a change at left guard amid offensive struggles against Nebraska. The recent four-star recruit, Tofi, entered the game, and Oregon saw an improvement in run-blocking as yards on the ground piled up in the fourth quarter.
“I mean, he's big. He can move bodies, right? There's some real positive in some of those moments,” Lanning said. “What he was able to create at times in the run game, being able to get some movement on some guys up front.”
Running backs Dierre Hill Jr. and Brandon Smith were among the highlights in the backfield. Hill, who rushed for a team-high 67 yards on 14 carries in the game, acknowledged that Tofi’s performance made a difference.
“Oh yeah, for sure. Tommy's a big guy,” Hill said. “Obviously, we got to keep growing, but whenever he's in there, he can he can make a lot of space. So yeah, it's good running behind all of my guys for sure.”
Tofi’s performance certainly gained plenty of glowing reviews from fans online after the Cornhuskers game. But Lanning also pumped the brakes on offering too much praise during his Monday press conference.
“There's also some misses that he has,” Lanning said. “That's going to come with more time and more experience. What you have to weigh in our situation with a young player like Tommy is that he's going to be really, really good. Is there's going to be mistakes that happen within there as well, especially with the variety of defenses you can get.”
“So there were some positives, and there were some things that weren't good enough,” he added. “And he knows that, but if he continues to get more reps, more time, I think he's going to be able be a really, really good player for us.”
So, the question becomes: Will Tofi’s role grow moving forward? And could he even earn the starting left guard spot?
Lanning’s not known for making big declarations during his media appearances, but his comments indicate that he’s aware of Tofi’s high ceiling, while also continuing to evaluate what the competition in practice looks like week after week.
“And again, I think I said it last week. Like, there's competition. There's a lot of competition right now in our offensive line, and not a lot of separators right now of like this guy's distinctly better,” Lanning said. “They kind of all have different skill sets that they're good at. So, Tommy's going to be a guy that's right in the mix of that.”
Oregon Ducks’ Freshmen Are Beginning to Surge
Tofi wasn’t the only freshman to turn heads against Nebraska. Smith rushed for 29 yards on six carries and was critical on the final offensive drive that scored the winning touchdown and two-point conversion.
Receiver Messiah Hampton made a five-yard reception after earning more targets as the season has progressed. Then there was Jalen Lott, who made three receptions for 23 yards in his second game following an injury.
Defensively, Devin Jackson is gaining more snaps at safety and totaled four tackles, including a tackle for a loss against the Cornuskers. Cornerback Davon Benjamon and safety Jett Washington have also played important snaps early in the season.
Lanning mentioned that the staff did a deep dive and found that 83 percent of their snaps have come from players who started their careers at Oregon, showing what happens when development is seen all the way through.
“Sometimes that happens earlier for some, and sometimes that happens a little bit later,” Lanning said about freshmen making an impact. “Sometimes that happens the next year, which is harder and harder to get that to happen in college football. But it's great to be able to have young guys that are able to contribute.”
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