The Oregon Ducks allowed just 187.3 passing yards (No. 20 least in the country) and 323.7 total yards (No. 18 least in the country) in 2024. Oregon coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi are going to have hard time topping that in 2025, but Purdue Boilermakers transfer Dillon Thieneman would believe otherwise.
Here are the top eight defensive backs heading in next season, according to ESPN. Three of the eight play in the Big Ten Conference, one being Thieneman as he prepares for his junior campaign.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs (2) celebrates after sacking Akron Zips quarterback Ben Finley (10) during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game at Ohio Stadium. / Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Disp / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
No. 1 – Ohio State Buckeyes junior Caleb Downs
No. 2 – Notre Dame Fighting Irish sophomore Leonard Moore
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No. 3 – Tennessee Volunteers junior Jermod McCoy
No. 4 – Indiana Hoosiers junior D’Angelo Ponds
Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds (5) celebrates a 4th down stop during the Indiana versus Maryland football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
No. 5 – Oregon Ducks junior Dillon Thieneman
“A guy that is infatuated with football, right? And infatuated with the extra work. You know, there’s probably not a day that goes by that Dillon’s not in the weight room, getting bonus work, doing extra rehab, getting extra film.”
– Oregon coach Dan Lanning
No. 6 – Clemson Tigers junior Avieon Terrell
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No. 7 – Duke Blue Devils senior Chandler Rivers
No. 8 – Texas Longhorns senior Michael Taaffe
Through his first two seasons with Purdue, Thieneman had a whopping 210 total tackles (leading the team in 2023 and 2024), eight pass deflections, six interceptions, two forced fumbles, and a sack. The Indiana native started all 24 of his appearances with the Boilermakers while earning All-Big Ten selections twice. He was also named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023.
“His intelligence, all those things, are really picking up, you know, establishing some standards for the DB group and how they’re going to operate. I think he’s done a great job of that, and I know he’s not satisfied.”
– Oregon coach Dan Lanning
Nov 2, 2024; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats running back Joseph Himon II (6) is tackled by Purdue Boilermakers defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images / Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
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ESPN also ranked Oregon transfer and junior running back Makhi Hughes as college football’s No. 6 breakout player. With the Tulane Green Waves from 2023-24, Hughes had 2,779 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on 523 attempts through 28 career games. He was named to the First Team All-American Athletic Conference twice.
“Every day he’s getting comfortable. He’s (Makhi Hughes) getting more and more comfortable with the playbook. You can see some of his natural ability starting to come out as he’s starting to play faster and think less.”
– Running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples
Nov 11, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulsa Golden Hurricane safety Jaise Oliver (25) tries to tackler Tulane Green Wave running back Makhi Hughes (21) in first quarter action at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Dobbins-Imagn Images / Matthew Dobbins-Imagn Images
Per On3, Oregon’s incoming transfer portal class is ranked No. 4 in the nation with 11 total commits. The adjusted Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) value of the class is $1.7 million.
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“Oregon has by far the most talented Transfer Portal class coming when looking at the On3 Industry’s average ranking per commit. From three terrific offensive linemen to two Indianapolis-area defensive backs to landing the top running back in the portal, Dan Lanning and his staff cleaned up.”
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
