Finney Jr. at Autzen. Five-star talent. Started the opener at cornerback.
Brandon Finney Jr. started every one of Oregon's first five games in 2026, through UCLA on Oct 10, per the official box scores, and our read is that he is the corner the staff trusts most. He led Oregon's cornerbacks with 66 snaps in the opener and 75 of 87 at Oklahoma State, the most of any Oregon corner in both games (Yahoo Sports and Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports snap counts).
His biggest play so far came at USC. Oregon had just gone up 34-27 with 8:35 left, and USC drove from its own 25 to its 49. On fourth-and-7, Jayden Maiava threw over the middle for Zacharyus Williams and Finney broke it up. Turnover on downs with 7:15 left, and Oregon scored the clinching touchdown on its next drive. He was also in on three tackles on USC's final drive, which ended with Koi Perich's interception.
The track record came first. As a freshman in 2025 he made 42 tackles with 3 interceptions, including a 35-yard pick-six against Indiana on Oct 11 and two more in the Orange Bowl, where Oregon shut out Texas Tech 23-0. One of those came in the end zone in the fourth quarter, and he recovered a fumble in the same game.
Week 9 vs Northwestern, Oct 31, 2026
7 tackles, 5 of them solo, and a pass breakup against Northwestern, tied for the team lead.
ESPN box score, Oct 31, 2026
5 of 5
Starts (2026)
Official box scores, through UCLA
75 of 87
Snaps at Okla. St.
Most of any Oregon corner
3
INTs (2025)
Incl. 2 in the Orange Bowl
4th & 7
The stop at USC
Breakup, 7:15 left, up 34-27
Brandon Finney Jr. | Spring Practice #7
6-2, 203. Started every game through UCLA. Two picks in the Orange Bowl, and the fourth-down breakup that held off USC.
Via YouTube
4th & 7
Breakup that turned USC over on downs with 7:15 left
Oregon led 34-27 and scored on its next drive. As a freshman, Finney had two picks in the Orange Bowl.
Orange Bowl Champions. 23-0. Finney and the secondary were suffocating.
The Stop at USC
USC had scored on three straight drives to tie the game 27-27. Oregon answered with Dakorien Moore's 29-yard touchdown, and USC got the ball back with 8:35 left needing a touchdown. A 21-yard completion got the Trojans to their 46, a run got them to the 49, and then two incompletions and a fourth-and-7. Finney broke up the throw to Zacharyus Williams, Oregon took over, and Jordon Davison scored from 2 yards with 2:03 left. From the moment Oregon went up 34-27, USC threw 15 times and completed 6 for 55 yards. Finney was part of all of it: the breakup, then three tackles on the last drive.
The Impact
Cornerback is the most important position in Chris Hampton's defense outside the edge rushers, and Big Ten offenses will keep testing Oregon's young secondary. USC showed both sides of it: the Trojans completed only 23 of 42 and went 2 of 11 on third down, but hit six completions of 20 or more yards. Finney's size at 6-2 gives him the best physical matchup profile in the room. He can press receivers at the line without getting beaten off the ball, and in a conference built on physical receivers, that matters. Autzen Zoo also reported on Sept 19 that he was working in the nickel role while Carl Williams IV was out; that is a reporter's observation, not an official depth chart.
The Orange Bowl and 2025
The Orange Bowl against Texas Tech on Jan 1, 2026, was Finney's coming-out party. Oregon won 23-0, and Finney had two interceptions, a fumble recovery and 6 tackles, per ESPN's box score. The second pick came in the end zone in the fourth quarter. It capped a freshman season with 42 tackles, 7 passes defended, a sack and 3 interceptions, one of them a 35-yard return for a touchdown against Indiana on Oct 11, 2025. The Orange Bowl showed the staff that Finney was not a project. Five starts in 2026 say they believed it.
The Cornerback Room
Preseason, this was a three-way competition between Finney, Na'eem Offord and four-star Dorian Brew. Through UCLA on Oct 10, Oregon was playing three corners. The official box scores list Finney and Ify Obidegwu as starting defensive backs in all five games, and Offord in the last three. At Oklahoma State the snaps went Finney 75, Obidegwu 67 and Offord 66 of 87 (Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports). Our read: nobody lost this competition. Oregon found three corners it trusts.
Spring Practice: The Mentality
In spring practice, defensive coordinator Chris Hampton singled out Finney for his approach to improvement. Coming off a strong freshman season, Finney was focused on his weaknesses rather than his strengths, and Hampton pointed to that as what separates elite corners from good ones. The two did detailed film study together on the areas where even a strong season had room to grow. That is the mentality of someone who was not content with winning the job.
Watch List for 2026
1
Where he lines up: Autzen Zoo reported him working in the nickel in mid-September. Snap counts never say where a corner lined up, so watch it yourself.
2
Late-game coverage: after Oregon took the lead at USC, the Trojans went 6 of 15 for 55. Can the secondary play like that for four quarters?
3
Explosive plays allowed: USC hit six completions of 20 or more yards. UCLA had four on Oct 10 (ESPN play-by-play). Nebraska on Oct 17 is the next test.
4
Ball production: 3 interceptions as a freshman, none through five games in 2026. The breakups are there.
5
Tackling in space: he was in on three tackles on USC's final drive. Corners who tackle stay on the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The official box scores list him as a starter in all five 2026 games through UCLA. He played 66 snaps in the opener and 75 of 87 at Oklahoma State, the most of any Oregon corner in both games (snap counts: Yahoo Sports, Sept 5, and Ducks Wire / Yahoo Sports, Sept 14, 2026).
4 tackles and the fourth-and-7 pass breakup with 7:15 left that turned the ball over on downs while Oregon led 34-27. Oregon scored on its next drive to go up 41-27.
Two interceptions, a fumble recovery and 6 tackles in Oregon's 23-0 shutout of Texas Tech on Jan 1, 2026, per ESPN's box score. One of the interceptions came in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Finney is listed at 6-2, 203 pounds. His size is why he can press receivers at the line, and it gives him the best matchup profile in Oregon's cornerback room against big Big Ten receivers.
Sources: GoDucks.com, 247Sports (2025-2026). This page covers on-field performance and publicly available recruiting data only.
Brandon Finney Jr. on video this season
Players · Oct 31
Koi Perich & Brandon Finney Jr. after Northwestern
