Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman named a college football Top 50 player
In the USA TODAY Top 50 players for this upcoming college football season, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman comes in at No. 26 although he hasn't played an official down for the Ducks yet.
But he does have an impressive resume.
In his first season at Purdue, Thieneman had six interceptions and totaled 210 tackles in his first two seasons in West Lafayette. He should be a perfect fit for the back end of Lanning's defensive unit and according to writer Matt Zemek, the timing of Thieneman's arrival couldn't have been better.
"Oregon's outlook for the 2025 season begins with a basic point about the Ducks' offense. Though Dillon Thieneman is not a member of the Ducks' offensive unit, he -- and everyone else inside the program -- knows that the biggest question mark surrounding the team is the quarterback, Dante Moore," he said.
"If Moore is the real meal deal, everything should come together for this team. However, what if Moore is not a rock star? Then the Ducks would have to make sure their defense can rock and roll and do the heavy lifting for the 2025 roster. Thieneman will have to be good for Oregon to do well in 2025. The thing is, he might have to be great -- maybe even spectacular -- if Moore does not deliver a first-rate performance under center."
Oregon will enter the season with the assumption that Moore will be the full meal deal the Ducks are looking for. Let's face it. Lanning wouldn't have worked as hard as he did to get Moore back into the fold after a subpar freshman season at UCLA. The talent is obviously there, as he was the top quarterback in the Class of 2023. But the environment was all wrong for the Detroit native.
It is nice to have a dominating defense to fall back on just in case the offense doesn't gel as quickly as expected. With Thieneman patrolling the secondary, he provides an awfully soft cushion and lightens the load, knowing he's back there for support. By the time the season goes into the month of November, both units should be rolling, making the Ducks a huge threat in the playoffs.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
43 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Top Texas 2026 high school football standout chooses Oregon
Frisco (Texas) Panther Creek incoming senior athlete Jalen Lott eschewed family ties when it came to making his commitment announcement Tuesday. Lott also made a unique presentation to the school he plans to attend, which will be Oregon. The four-star Class of '26 recruit made the announcement at a ceremony at the school Tuesday afternoon that was broadcast on the Dave Campbell's Texas Football website. At his announcement, Lott had four caps on the table which represented his list of finalists - Oregon, along with USC, Texas and LSU - set against a backdrop of Panther Creek logos. Advertisement But right before making the announcement, instead of doing what has become routine by picking the hat of the committed school, workers took away the backdrop to reveal a large sealed card. Lott then opened up the card, which folded out to show him wearing an Oregon uniform. MORE:Oregon Ducks recruiting class rises to No. 1 nationally in key stat In an interview with Dave Campbell's Texas Football right after the announcement, Lott remarked the relationships with the Oregon coaches - especially head coach Dan Lanning - made Lott sway his favor toward the Ducks. 'Definitely my relationship with Coach Lanning and all of the other coaches; they've been recruiting me for a long time since I really was a freshman,' Lott said. 'So being able to build that relationship with them was the biggest thing for me, just kind of gravitating towards them. … They recruited me for a long time, so being able to go up there multiple times (for visits) every year and obviously getting out there for a game is like a big thing for me.' Advertisement Lott, considered the No. 5 athlete in the country by 247Sports, added he likes what he can bring to the Ducks' high-powered offense. 'Definitely just the way they get their athletes the ball in their hands and stuff like that; just letting them move out of open space and not really doing too much with it,' he said. In addition, Lott disclosed that along with football, he plans to run track at Oregon. He was the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics champion in the long jump. 'Obviously, they also have a great track program that I'm really interested in, so I plan on doing both when I get there.' Advertisement Lott, who goes 6-foot and weighs 170 pounds, caught 85 passes last year for 1,111 yards and scored 16 TDs for a Panther Creek squad which finished 10-2. He also rushed for four TDs and passed for another. Recently, Lott and his Panther Creek teammates claimed the Texas state Division II 7-on-7 title, and are now determined to do the same in 11-man this fall. '(We have to just) stay together and be able to step up, now knowing that there's a target on our backs now, so being able to kind of push through that and show everybody what we can do,' said Lott, who was named the event's MVP after scoring the game-winning TD in overtime against Kilgore in the title game. Lott also went against the grain in his announcement when it came to his family. Both of his parents were athletes at Texas and one of his sisters runs track at USC, with his other sister playing basketball at UNLV. Advertisement MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWS Top Texas '26 tight end prospect decides to stay close to home, commits to TCU Texas Tech football lands commitment from East Texas 4-star 2026 cornerback Standout tailback from East Texas decides to stay in-state after making college commitment ESPN's "SportsCenter" program to be on location at Texas high school football scrimmage Who made the covers of popular Texas football preseason magazine? Texas UIL football championship games to be broadcast for free via a new broadcast agreement
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Colorado football class of 2026 commitment tracker
As things stand today (June 29, 2025), the Colorado Buffaloes currently have four players committed to their class of 2026. With official visits mostly complete, this group ranks No. 105 in the nation and is the last-ranked class in the Big 12. Deion Sanders and his staff are looking for their fourth consecutive top-25 finish in the national rankings, which they typically achieve by prioritizing highly ranked recruits over sheer quantity. Advertisement The Buffs are awaiting several decisions from key targets over the next few weeks, which could change the trajectory of an otherwise mediocre 2026 cycle so far. The program is coming off an impressive 2024 season that saw Colorado tie for the best conference record (7-2) and finish 9-4 overall. Colorado would do well to assemble another top 25 class, and with Sanders' history of flipping top recruits, it never seems too late for the Buffs to make a splash on the recruiting front. (Last update: June 29, 3:00 p.m. MT) Three-star cornerback Maurice Williams Measurables: 5-foot-11, 172 pounds Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana Advertisement 247Sports Ranking: No. 1518 player in the class of 2026, No. 130 cornerback and No. 41 recruit from Louisiana Here is more on Williams' commitment. Four-star cornerback Preston Ashley Measurables: 5-foot-10, 170 pounds Hometown: Brandon, Mississippi 247Sports Ranking: No. 214 player in the class of 2026, No. 19 safety and No. 9 recruit from Mississippi Here is more on Ashley's commitment. Three-star tight end Gavin Mueller Measurables: 6-foot-5, 255 pounds Hometown: South Elgin, Illinois 247Sports Ranking: No. 462 player in the class of 2026, No. 23 tight end and No. 12 recruit from Illinois Advertisement Here is more on Mueller's commitment. Three-star edge Domata Peko Jr. Measurables: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds Hometown: Calabasas, California 247Sports Ranking: No. 8 JUCO player in the class of 2026, No. 1 edge and No. 4 JUCO recruit from California Here is more on Peko Jr.'s commitment. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Colorado football recruiting class of 2026 commitment, ranking tracker
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Texas A&M volleyball ranked No. 3 in SEC coaches' poll, earns multiple preseason honors
Following a 21-win season in 2024, the Texas A&M volleyball program earned multiple preseason Southeastern Conference honors heading into a new campaign under head coach Jamie Morrison. The Aggies enter this season ranked third in the Southeastern Conference coaches' poll, with two members of this year's roster also named to the 2025 Preseason All-SEC Team. Logan Lednicky and Ifenna Cos-Okpalla added another honor to their list of accomplishments, as both were announced to the league's list on Tuesday afternoon. This marks Lednicky's third consecutive preseason award and Cos-Okpalla's second consecutive season securing the honors, given to just 15 athletes across the SEC before the new season begins. Lednicky recorded the second-highest kills per set total (4.47) and third-highest kill total (492) in a single season in the program's history last season in an impressive junior year showing. At the same time, Cos-Okpalla led the team with 161 blocks and averaged 1.46 blocks per set, which ranked second and third. The SEC's preseason voting placed the Aggies in third with 195 points and one first-place vote among the 16 teams in the conference. Following Texas A&M's record-breaking 2024 campaign, which featured the program's highest win total since 2019, 11 players return to Morrison's squad this season. On the recruiting trail, the Aggies also brought in the No. 7 recruiting class in the country. Here are the finalized votes from the league's preseason coaches' poll: Following a NCAA Tournament run that ended with the Aggies reaching the team's first Sweet 16 since 2019, Morrison will look to lead his program back to the promised land this season. With a roster loaded with talent and experience, the program in College Station could be at the apex of the SEC in 2025. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Dylan on X: @dylanmflippo.
