The Oregon Ducks might have the worst-kept secret in Eugene, and not just one. The obvious storyline is the QB1 battle between two dual-threat contenders, but that’s part of it. Dan Lanning’s roster is loaded with NFL intrigue, and scouts are circling. One secret is positive, but that now is acting as honey for pros after already losing 10 in 2024. 14 returning starters, and the attention isn’t limited to players. Also, surprisingly, it has someone from the $5M 35YO coaching staffer. And it’s not the head coach.

Every year, programs quietly stash away a few young weapons, waiting for them to explode onto the scene. In Oregon, though, there’s no hiding this one. Todd McShay put it, “The wide receivers that they need. I do love their tight end, Kenyon Sadiq. Big time.”Steve Muench said, “He’s the worst-kept secret in college football. Everyone knows this kid’s coming.” And it’s hard not to see why. On paper, Kenyon Sadiq’s résumé is modest—just 29 career catches—but the measurable and flashes scream something different.

At 6’3”, 250 pounds, and with speed to match, he checks all the boxes of a Sunday-ready player. Ducks OC Will Stein didn’t mince words either, recently saying Sadiq is “one of the best players in the country.” That’s not just coach-speak—it’s a warning shot to the rest of the Pac-12 and beyond. What makes Sadiq’s rise even more intriguing is the backdrop. Oregon’s TE room has been defined by NFL talent in recent years, with Patrick Herbert now with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Terrance Ferguson with the Rams. Their exit left a vacuum, and Sadiq is stepping right into the spotlight.

Add in Louisville transfer Jamari Johnson, another young, athletic option, and the Ducks suddenly look loaded again at the position. Now, Sadiq is ready to embrace the TE1 role. Embracing the spotlight, however, has been an adjustment. “There’s definitely a part of it you’ve just got to push to the side and do your thing,” Sadiq said. “There’s also, like, I do need to perform to these certain levels to help the team out.” Apart from Sadiq, his OC was in the spotlight too. McShay didn’t mince words when asked about Stein’s rise.

“Every week there’s something, and he connects, right? And then scheme. Because Lanning, while a great recruiter and motivator, is the foundation is a great defensive coach. And I think one of the most underrated, I don’t know why his name isn’t batted around more in the NFL, and I think it will soon. I think Will Stein is one of the most underrated offensive coordinators in college football.” That comment cracked open the door to what has been building in Eugene—Stein’s ability to churn QBs into Sunday material at a dizzying clip.

Steve Muench expanded on the thought. “I think he gets a lot of love in the NFL, because think about this. He’s had two quarterbacks at Oregon.” One is Bo Nix. He was there the year before he got there, but he had him for his last year, and his numbers skyrocketed under Stein. Then there was Dillon Gabriel. “Both of those guys, when they got to Will Stein, no one was thinking about them as early-round draft picks. And Nix goes in the first, and Dillon Gabriel, like we didn’t even think going into the weekend he was going to be a third-round pick. I think people from the league are looking at Will Stein and being like, we want one of those. We want the kind of quarterback that he is starting to build for the league. I really think the league looks at him a little bit different than maybe everyone else does.”

Heavy is the crown. Oregon isn’t just judged by wins now, but by the pipeline it’s creating to the NFL. And yet, Stein’s portfolio isn’t limited to QBs. HC Dan Lanning himself has become a lightning rod for attention, building rosters that keep spitting out pros like clockwork—six draftees in his first season, eight the next, and 10 this spring, each year climbing like a staircase. Then, of course, there’s the quarterback decision looming. Oregon’s QB1 battle between two dual-threats will be solved “by next week or so,” per chatter, but the winner walks into a dream scenario. Few programs can claim a staff architect like Stein, depth in the backfield, and a wideout room dripping with five-star talent. Dan Lanning has called the roster his most complete yet.

Dan Lanning’s “underrated” OC has confidence in his rushers, too

After losing bell cow Jordan James to the pros, the Ducks hit the portal for Tulane’s Makhi Hughes, a back who produced consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Stein has already seen him adjust. “Makhi [has] done really well. I’d say this fall, compared to where it was in the spring, just learning the system. Anytime you’re new somewhere, it just takes a little bit time…I said they were running duo. Run a counter. Run outside zone. You’ve been doing this for a long time. Just know what the call is and go run it,” Stein said. Hughes, paired with RB Noah Whittington, gives Oregon one of the deepest backfields in the Big Ten.

That depth matters more than ever. Injuries are inevitable, and with Stein’s system, backs must be plug-and-play weapons. Oregon’s depth chart sets them up well for 2025, balancing explosive newcomers with proven vets. And it’s not just the run game. The receiver room is suddenly bursting with five-star flavor. Dakorien Moore headlines a group that is loaded with raw speed and contested-catch polish, giving Stein chess pieces all over the board. It’s the kind of arsenal that allows an offense to withstand attrition and still keep the throttle down.