Saturday, April 25, 2026 | Final: Combat 17, Fighting 10
2026 Oregon Ducks Spring Game
Stewart was the star. Defense was the story. Brock Thomas hit Dakorien Moore for the walk-off. Full recap, quotes, and what it means for September.
The 2026 Oregon spring game finished Combat 17, Fighting 10. Evan Stewart was the MVP (4 catches, 110 yards, 1 TD on a 76-yard reception from Dylan Raiola). Brock Thomas hit Dakorien Moore for a 60-yard walk-off TD with 0:20 left in Q4. Combined defenses produced 10 sacks. More than 45,000 fans attended on a clear day at Autzen.
Game Day Details (Apr 25, 2026)
Historical reference for the 2026 event. Final score: Combat 17, Fighting 10. Read the recap →
Spring Game Recap
Final |Final
Brock Thomas hit Dakorien Moore for a 60-yard touchdown with 0:20 left in the fourth, capping a defense-soaked afternoon that ended with both squads combining for 10 sacks. Per Duck Wire's recap: "Oregon is going to have one of those stifling defenses next season that will give opponents nightmares in 2026." The offense is fine. The defense is the story.
Spring Game on Tape
Star of the Game: Evan Stewart
Four catches. 110 yards. One touchdown, a 76-yard dime from Dylan Raiola on the run. Nearly unguardable. Completely healthy. A year removed from a torn patellar tendon that wiped out his entire 2025 season, Stewart looked exactly like the player Texas A&M raved about and Oregon paid to bring west. Dan Lanning after the game: "This has been Evan's best spring since I've been here. I'm really excited about the growth." Pair him with Dakorien Moore, throw in TJ McClellan, and the receiving corps is no longer the question mark of the offense. The corps is the answer.
Lanning's Take
"Fun day. There's a lot of things you can walk away with and say, Okay, we gotta work on some things, but ultimately, it was fun seeing our guys out there compete."
"I just saw a guy that enjoys playing football. I saw him light up in his face." on Dylan Raiola's first Oregon reps
"The intelligence of this group is really high and that committed ability to execute offense and defensive plays is really up there."
"Move it up. Move it up. I've been very clear, but I think it solves a lot of problems in college football. The closer we can get the season ending to January 1, the better." on the college football calendar debate
Source: On3 post-spring-game presser (Apr 25, 2026), 247Sports Oregon transcript
How It Happened
Who Impressed
Five QBs, Five Looks
Five quarterbacks took live reps. The depth chart isn't a depth chart. It's a luxury.
The Autzen Atmosphere
More than 45,000 fans showed up for a free scrimmage in late April (KTVZ reported 35,000+ early; SI Oregon and Yahoo Sports both put the final number at 45,000-46,000). Honorary coaches: Penei Sewell and Kayvon Thibodeaux led Combat, Tez Johnson and Deommodore Lenoir led Fighting. Sewell stepped in for Bo Nix, who was originally slated to coach Combat alongside Thibodeaux but couldn't attend (a new dad rehabbing a broken ankle before Broncos offseason work). Newly drafted Bryce Boettcher was on the sideline. Oregon Army National Guard Sgt. 1st Class Ben Pasi performed the national anthem before two F-15 Eagle fighter jets from the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing flew over. The day doubled as a large-scale tribute to service members, veterans, and their families, organized with the Oregon National Guard and other military branches. Lanning: "There's nothing like game day experience in a lot of places in the country, and we get to have that here, because our fans are unbelievable."
Sources: KTVZ (Apr 26), 247Sports, SI Oregon on the Sewell-for-Nix swap.
What the Players Said
Evan Stewart
"It's exciting, I've actually never scored in a spring game before, that was my first time, a lot of fans today, felt like a real game-day experience, it was a great feeling, thank god I'm back."
"He was gloating, for sure. We were going back-and-forth, and it came down to the last play, and it was thrown to me. I didn't get the last play, so we lost, like so it's kind of the same thing here." on the practice-floor competition with Dakorien Moore
Dante Moore (7-of-11, 57 yards, 1 TD)
"First it's a blessing for all the guys that got drafted. They worked their tails off and put so much into this program." on watching Malik Benson get picked during the game
"He had the game winning catch for us today but overall he's been someone that you know I love and he's been working really hard." on Dakorien Moore
"I'm starting to get the 'unc' nickname now. I feel like I'm getting old now."
"Pressure is a privilege."
Dylan Raiola
"I couldn't believe it. I was just hoping it didn't blow it dead, because I know Evan's not getting caught." on the 76-yard TD to Stewart
"I was very grateful, very emotional in the moment, just everything that has happened since last November to now." on his first Oregon reps post-fibula
"I've never heard something so loud, especially the tunnel with the echo and everything." on the Autzen entrance
"I would probably say three-quarters. There's constant growth happening." on his comfort in the offense
Coordinators Speak
Drew Mehringer, OC
"It's the difference playing chess and speed chess." on practice operation vs live-clock execution
Chris Hampton, DC
"They play hard for the coaches. There's not any selfishness."
Hampton flagged red-area defense and third-down stops as the priority areas of growth from 2025 (per SI Oregon).
Sources: SI Oregon: Everything Dante Moore Said, SI Oregon: Everything Dylan Raiola Said, SI Oregon: Coordinators on the spring game (all Apr 25-26, 2026).
Five-Stars Got Reps
Four early-enrollee five-stars from the 2026 class dressed and played. Two more arrive in summer.
Iheanacho (5-star OL, #29 nationally) and 5-star WR Jalen Lott arrive after the Spring Game.
Draft Day During the Game
Spring game day was also Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Five Day 3 picks rolled in around kickoff. Seven Ducks total in this draft class. Full tracker →
UDFA Signings (Apr 26)
Four more Ducks signed with NFL teams the day after the draft. Eleven players total joining NFL organizations from this class.
2027 Recruiting Made a Splash Too
Spring game weekend is recruiting weekend. Four-star LB Brandon Lockley Jr. (St. Joseph's Prep, Philadelphia, 6-1 235) committed to Oregon on April 26 over Alabama, LSU, Penn State, Nebraska, and Duke. Rankings vary by source: No. 234 / No. 21 LB on Rivals250, No. 330 / No. 28 LB on the Rivals Industry Composite. The pickup pushes the 2027 class to 11 commits, including five-star QB Will Mencl (the No. 1 QB in 2027, committed Apr 22), four-star S Semaj Stanford (Apr 23), four-star CB Ai'King Hall, and four-star EDGE Rashad Streets. Class moved up three spots to No. 6 nationally per Rivals after the Mencl commit. National recruiting reach: Lockley is 3,000 miles from Eugene and chose Oregon anyway.
What It Means for September
Spring games are scrimmages, not games. But the things you wanted to see were there. Stewart is healthy. The receiving corps is the offense's strength, not its question. The defense is going to be a problem for opponents. Hampton's pressure schemes flashed and the secondary already looks deeper than the front seven (which is itself elite). QB depth is real, with three legitimate game-managers behind Moore. The OL is the open question. Two new tackles will be settled by fall camp. Drew Mehringer is throwing the football downfield. The Boise State opener Sept 5 looks more competitive than it should because of the new OL, but the pieces are stacked for a deep run otherwise.
Sources: On3 game recap, Duck Wire, Yahoo Sports, official team draft releases (Chiefs, Colts, Raiders, Chargers, Jaguars), Big Ten Football and Oregon on BTN highlight clips. Press conference quotes and full coaches breakdown will follow Sunday and into next week.
The Case for 2026
Two straight CFP appearances. Big Ten champs in year one. 48-8 under Lanning. The pieces are here. Can this team actually finish? That's the only question left.
Meet the Flock
Who are the players chasing a championship? Oregon Football's series goes inside each position room. Episodes released across spring practice.
Episodes released across spring practice. Full series on GoDucks YouTube. Players featured: Dante Moore, Dylan Raiola, Jerry Mixon.
Spring Practice: Press Conferences
Hear directly from the coaches through seven weeks of spring practice.
Player Spotlight: Spring Practice
Straight from the players. Hear what they are working on and where they think this team can go.
Spring Practice Intel
Past the three-quarter mark. The April 11 scrimmage is in the books (Lanning liked the physicality, flagged six penalties). The Peach Bowl loss is not forgotten. What the coaches and players are saying tells you exactly where this team is: talented enough, but still growing into it. Here is what stands out.
Sources: 247Sports (Apr 8, 2026), GoDucks.com (Apr 2-12, 2026), Duck Sports Central (Apr 9, 2026), SI Oregon (Apr 2026).
Five-Star Freshmen on the Spring Roster
Five five-star signees from the 2026 recruiting class enrolled early in 2026. Four took spring practice reps. One arrives in summer.
Immanuel Iheanacho (5-star OL, #29 nationally) arrives in summer.
What to Watch
Spring practice started March 12, 2026, two months after the Peach Bowl loss. New coordinators, new faces, and real questions at multiple positions. The April 25 spring game answered some of them and surfaced others. The seven storylines below are the ones that mattered most going in and still matter for September. Skip to the recap →
It starts day by day. The best thing we can do to continue to improve and get better in our program is to be the best we can be today.Dan Lanning
I want to be the best defense in the country. We all want to be the best defense in the country.Chris Hampton
Game Day Roster Guide
Pull this up on your phone at the game. See a number on the field, find them here.
Quarterbacks
Settled at the top. Elite depth.Running Backs
Talented starters. Thin behind them.Wide Receivers
Young talent with one proven veteran.Tight Ends
Solid starter. Five-star freshman arriving.Offensive Line
The biggest question mark on the roster.Defensive Line
Best in the country. Multiple NFL prospects.Edge Rushers
Elite. Two NFL-caliber starters plus a rising star.Linebackers
Experienced starter. Young depth developing.Defensive Backs
Deepest secondary talent Oregon has ever stockpiled.Special Teams
Stable. Returning kicker and punter.Player Profiles
Full scouting reports, stats, and what to watch. Click any player.
The Big Picture
Sources: GoDucks.com, 247Sports, SI Oregon, Yahoo Sports, Lookout Eugene-Springfield (April 2026). All quotes from press conferences and interviews during spring practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM Pacific at Autzen Stadium in Eugene. Admission is free. The game will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network.
Yes. Admission to the 2026 Oregon spring game is free. No ticket required. First come, first served seating. Gates open early. Season ticket holders can purchase parking passes with promo code 26FBSGP for 25% off.
Dante Moore is the starting quarterback. He threw for 3,565 yards and 30 TDs in 2025 and returned instead of entering the NFL Draft. Dylan Raiola (Nebraska transfer) is the backup and projected 2027 starter.
The biggest battles: left tackle and right tackle (three starters departed to NFL), WR1 (Dakorien Moore vs Evan Stewart), CB1 (Na'eem Offord vs Brandon Finney Jr. vs Dorian Brew), and the second linebacker spot next to Jerry Mixon.
Big Ten Network (BTN). The game kicks off at 1:00 PM Pacific / 4:00 PM Eastern on Saturday, April 25.
Autzen Stadium parking passes are on sale through GoDucks. Season ticket holders can use promo code 26FBSGP for 25% off. See our Autzen Stadium guide for parking tips and directions.
Gates open early on game day. Arrive by noon to grab seats in the lower bowl. Kickoff is at 1:00 PM Pacific. Autzen is first come, first served seating for the spring game.
The spring game airs live on Big Ten Network (BTN) at 1:00 PM Pacific / 4:00 PM Eastern on April 25. BTN is available through most cable providers and streaming services including Peacock, YouTube TV, Fubo, and Sling TV.
The 2026 Team
Official Resources
Built by fans who were there.
Weekly Oregon football analysis. Launching 2026 season. Sco Ducks.