Oregon
Oregon Ducks’ Gary Bryant: ‘National Championship Or Bust’
The Oregon Ducks are not shy about their National Championship goals in 2024. Entering the Big Ten Conference, coach Dan Lanning’s Ducks have one of the most exciting rosters and schedules in college football.
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel already made his intentions known to his Duck teammates. The nation’s No. 1 transfer quarterback gathered his teammates before fall football practices and promised the “best version of himself” in his final college football season.
Gabriel is the current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, odds which are boosted by possibly Oregon’s best and deepest receiving corps ever, highlighted by Tez Johnson and transfer Evan Stewart.
However, don’t overlook Gary Bryant Jr.
Last season after transferring from USC, Bryant Jr. caught 30 passes for 442 yards and four touchdowns. The versatile Bryant also returned 14 kickoffs for 259 yards.
Bryant is confident 2024 will be his breakout season.
“I just think the preparation I put into this year,” Bryant Jr. told Oregon Ducks SI’s Bri Amaranthus. “This is a big year for me, a big year for my team We have a big goal, you know, to go all the way.”
“National championship or bust. We’ve been grinding, grinding very hard for it.”
The biggest difference in Bryant Jr. this season is his leadership role, the junior is making an effort to be more vocal and it isn’t going unnoticed.
“Gary is the glue to that room,” receivers coach Junior Adams said. “There’s a lot of guys in there that lean on (him). He’s a vet. I’m excited. He’s made plays at all three positions for us so far, and I’m excited to see what he’s going to do.”
The Ducks’ depth at receiver is impressive:. While Johnson and Stewart receiver the lion share of attention, Bryant Jr., Traeshon Holden and Justius Lowe are all impact players. Why does Bryant Jr. think Oregon’s receivers are the best unit in college football?
“Obviously, the talent we got in that room, but I think, how well we play together,” Bryant told Amaranthus. “I think they got a chance to see it kind of last year. We had one receiver leave and go pro, and then we got Evan coming in. But I think the way that they see we play together and play off each other was a big thing. And obviously, the talent we have in the room is far from none.”
Bryant Jr. says the Oregon coaches have put emphasis on physicality leading up to the Ducks’ inaugural season in the Big Ten conference.
“The weight room for us has been fantastic, phenomenal,” Bryant told Amaranthus. “Everything that we’ve been doing this off season is going to pay off for us. So I’m excited to put that on tape for everybody else to see.”
“We love the doubters… When we prove them wrong, it’s big for us.”
Team chemistry, toughness, growth with a focus on tuning out noise… Bryant Jr. is preaching coach Lanning’s ‘Team DNA.’
Bryant Jr. is very pleased with his decision to transfer to Oregon from USC, to join coach Lanning. What is his favorite thing about his coach?
“I’ll say his transparency,” Bryant told Amaranthus. “Everything that he told me, being recruited here has played out to the T. And it wasn’t any promises or nothing like that. It was, ‘go out there and earn it.’ But everything he’s told me has been true. He’s been a great coach to me, a great mentor on and off the field, somebody I can come and talk to about anything. He’s going to give me his 100% opinion on it. So I appreciate him for that and all the coaches.”
And now, it’s time for Bryant and the Ducks to “go out there and earn it” en route to their ultimate goal: Oregon football’s first National Title.
MORE: Oregon Football’s Dan Lanning Analyzes First Full-Pads Practice: “You See Who’s Real and Who’s Not”
MORE: Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Three Flippable Football Recruits, Class of 2025
The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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