Oregon football running back Makhi Hughes ‘can do it all,’ former Tulane teammates say

MOBILE, Ala. — Oregon needed a new lead running back to replace Jordan James and landed arguably the top back available via the transfer portal in Makhi Hughes.

Coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,300 rushing yards at Tulane, Hughes immediately becomes RB1 for the Ducks in 2025. He had seven 100-yard games last season on his way to 1,401 yards with 15 touchdowns and 19 catches for 176 yards and two scores for the Green Wave.

“He ain’t no little back,” former Tulane safety Caleb Ransaw said. “He’s more so like a versatile back. He can run and he worked on his long speed; he’s a long runner as well. He’s powerful, he can do some juke moves as well.

“Some people they’re more power backs and there’s receiving backs and just running backs. He can do it all.”

At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds Hughes is effectively the same stature of James, who declared for the NFL draft.

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Hughes, who also ran for 1,378 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023, has similar situational splits to James, averaging nearly five yards per carry on first, second and third down.

“He’s a workhorse, so you can depend on him first down, second down and third down,” former Tulane defensive back Johnathan Edwards said. “He came to work every day, same guy Day 1 as Day 365. I got a lot of respect for Makhi and he’s going to do great things at Oregon.”

Edwards said Hughes’ power was regularly on display in practice as well as games and running through contact is among his traits.

“He’s not going down on the first tackle,” Edwards said. “I remember in fall camp one of our starting safeties, he blew him up real good and Makhi ran straight through him. It was crazy.”

— James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten. Listen to the Ducks Confidential podcast or subscribe to the Ducks Roundup newsletter.