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Oregon’s season didn’t end the way it would have liked as the Ducks got rocked by Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, but the offseason started off with a win.
Per 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz, former Tulane star running back Makhi Hughes is expected to transfer to Oregon. The rising junior rushed for more than 1,300 yards in each of his first two seasons and has logged 24 total touchdowns over the past two years.
Hughes, a 3-star prospect coming out of high school, is considered to be a 4-star transfer and the No. 7 overall running back in the portal by 247Sports’ transfer rankings.
After an outstanding freshman year in which he totaled 1,378 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, Hughes took another leap in 2024 by collecting 1,401 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns on the ground and a pair of touchdowns through the air.
Hughes’ tremendous play led Tulane to an 11-3 season in 2023 and a 9-5 finish this year.
Now Hughes will have a bigger stage with better competition as he joins Oregon and the Big Ten.
The Ducks were arguably the best team all season, finishing 12-0 in the regular season before beating Penn State in the Big Ten championship to earn an automatic bye in the College Football Playoff. Oregon was no match for a red-hot Ohio State team as the Buckeyes coasted to the semifinals behind a 41-21 victory.
While Oregon struggled just about everywhere on the field in the loss, its rushing attack was especially weak. The Ducks’ rushing yardage total was in the negatives and star running back Jordan James had just 14 yards.
Perhaps motivated by the poor outing from the backfield, Oregon went into the portal seeking a difference-maker, and the Ducks seemingly got one in Hughes.
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