The Oregon Ducks had one of the most successful seasons in program history last year, going 13-1 with a Big Ten Championship win and a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Now, in 2025, they will look to reach the same heights once again, but this time around with almost an entirely new roster.
Since coming to Eugene, Dan Lanning has recruited at an elite level. In 2025, talent acquisition and development will be tested. Gone are the players from past regimes; in will be the blue-chip players whom Lanning and his staff have hand-picked.
On offense, players like Dillon Gabriel, Tez Johnson, Jordan James, Terrance Ferguson, and Josh Conerly are leaving for the NFL. The defense sees the likes of Jeffrey Bassa, Jordan Burch, Derek Harmon, and Jabbar Muhammad move on as well. So, who will step up and replace them? That’s the million dollar question in Eugene. We have our depth chart projections on offense and defense, but the next several weeks of practice will determine a lot for the Ducks. As we continue our preview of the spring season leading up to Oregon’s annual spring game, let’s take a deep dive, position by position.
On Sunday, we checked out the quarterbacks. Now, we’ll examine their partners in the backfield, Oregon’s running backs.
The Ducks are losing Jordan James to the NFL this offseason, and although he had a fantastic three-year career at Oregon, the Ducks are well-equipped to replace him. With transfer Mahki Hughes coming to Eugene and veteran Noah Whittington making his return, don’t expect any drop-off from the Oregon rushing offense in 2025.
For a deeper dive into the Ducks’ running back room, keep on scrolling.
Jordan James
Career Stats: 38 games, 386 carries, 2,215 yards (5.7 YPA), 31 TDs, 42 catches, 347 yards (8.3 YPC), 1 TD
After shouldering the load of one of the best rushing offenses in 2024, Jordan James is off to the NFL after three years at Oregon. James was an integral piece in the Ducks’ offense as a freshman in 2022, and his role only grew from there. His tough running and breakaway speed will make him an asset to whichever team selects him this April.
Noah Whittingon
Career Stats: 55 games, 394 carries, 2,121 yards (5.4 YPA), 15 TDs, 71 catches, 446 yards (6.3 YPC), 3 TDs
The most experienced member of Oregon’s 2025 running back room is Noah Whittington, who will play his fourth season as a Duck in 2025, and his sixth in college. Whittington has never been the No. 1 back at Oregon, but since his transfer from Western Kentucky in 2022, he’s been an integral part of Oregon’s rushing and passing game, and he could be more important than ever in 2025.
Da’Jaun Riggs
Career Stats: 2 games, 11 carries, 82 yards (7.5 YPA), 1 TD
A name to watch out for this season is Da’Jaun Riggs, the redshirt freshman from Washington, D.C. We got to see flashes of Riggs in 2024 at the ends of two blowout games, and his running style kept eyes glued to TVs long after the result of the game was decided. Riggs won’t be getting starting reps this season, but I expect him to see some meaningful action in 2025.
Jayden Limar
Career Stats: 25 games, 49 carries, 180 yards (3.7 YPA), 1 TD, 9 catches, 132 yards (14.7 YPC), 1 TD
Jayden Limar will be back for the Ducks in 2025, after two seasons with the team. Limar hasn’t seen much action besides late-game garbage time, but his experience at Oregon has allowed him to take some competitive snaps. Like Riggs, I expect Limar to see more meaningful time next fall, helping to fill the Jordan James shaped gap.
Jay Harris
Career Stats (Division I): 4 games, 10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 2 yards
The final Oregon RB returner is former Northwest Missouri State star Jay Harris who didn’t do much in 2024, after a lot of offseason speculation to the contrary. Harris is big, speedy, and strong, which gives him so much upside. Who knows, maybe he needed a season to set his feet, and 2025 will be the breakout campaign.
Makhi Hughes – Tulane Transfer
Career Stats: 28 games, 523 carries, 2,779 yards (5.3 YPA), 22 TDs, 30 catches, 243 yards (8.1 YPC), 2 TDs
Makhi Hughes is, perhaps, Oregon’s most exciting transfer pickup of the 2024-25 offseason. In two seasons at Tulane, Hughes has been one of the top running backs in college football, and at Oregon, where he’ll be running behind one of the best O-lines in the country, he could be even better.
Jordan Davison – 4-star recruit
247Sports Recruiting Profile: 4-star Recruit (90), No. 20 RB in class of 2025
At 6 feet, 216 pounds, Jordan Davison brings a good mix of size and speed as the sole freshman in Oregon’s RB room. He likely won’t see the field much in 2025, but Davison could be an impact player for the Ducks down the road.
Prediction: Makhi Hughes
Whittington is so consistent, and Riggs is an exciting idea, but the starter for Oregon next season will in all likelihood be Makhi Hughes. Hughes needed no time to adjust from high school to college as a freshman in 2023 — when he rushed for nearly 1400 yards and led the AAC — and he should fit like a glove in Will Stein’s offense.
The Ducks aren’t a team that will call its top running back’s name 25 times a game, but one that will run the ball by committee. I don’t see Whittington starting, but he, Riggs, Limar, and Harris will have the opportunity to make impactful plays for Oregon next season.
Losing Jordan James the year after losing Bucky Irving, but the health of Oregon’s program is on full display with its running back continuity. Makhi Hughes is inches from stardom, and Oregon is the place to take that next step — or leap. Behind him is Whittington, who would start at many Power 5 programs, plus budding young players in Riggs, Limar, Harris, and Davison. The Ducks’ RB room is in a great place for 2025 and the further future.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks 2025 spring football running back preview
