Oregon Ducks coach Dan Lanning has been open about the 2026 season's challenges and how they have forced him to grow, and struggles on the offensive side of the ball remain a continued point of discussion.

With quarterback Dante Moore as well as wide receivers Evan Stewart and Jeremiah McClellan all listed "Out" on Oregon's first availability report released on Wednesday, the passing offense may look a bit different for the Ducks against Illinois.

In the 17-14 win over Nebraska, receiver Dakorien Moore logged 14 targets and seven receptions as the Ducks' leading receiver. Moore can be expected to lead the receiver room again on Saturday vs. the Fighting Illini, but younger receivers like Messiah Hampton, Jalen Lott, and Gatlin Bair could see their respective roles increase.

After Wednesday's practice, Lanning spoke about coordinating the passing game with a group of younger receivers, first-year offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, and backup quarterbacks in Dylan Raiola and Brock Thomas.

Dan Lanning on Oregon Ducks Passing Game

Lanning stressed keeping Oregon’s offense simple as injuries mount, giving younger players a chance to master the fundamentals and make plays.

“Yeah, I think you got to go back to your roots of, like, what is our system? What's that look like? What's you got to make it simple for players rather than you know packaging multiple things. Maybe this is a good answer versus multiple coverages, right?" Lanning said.

“And ask our guys to be able to execute that at a high level, hold the standard higher, right? Are we finishing in a dominant position? Are we blocking on the perimeter the way we need to? Are we attacking the ball and really coach the fundamentals?”

“I think a lot of people start to coach scheme more in those moments, and then again, an awareness of your team, recognize your strengths, be able to play into that," the Oregon coach continued. "And that doesn't always mean – sometimes the best third-down play is an opportunity to still have the ball and punt it away, right?”

“Because the reality is, you get an opportunity to flip the field for a large sum of yards. Sometimes the best red-area play is burning the ball as a quarterback, so you get a chance to kick a field goal. There's, it's all about making sure we have opportunities to have points and make great decisions. But we have good players. And those guys have given them an opportunity to step up and make plays.”

Oregon's Quarterback Situation vs. Illinois

Lanning and the Ducks have not made an announcement as to which quarterback will start on Saturday against Illinois, but some signs point to Raiola getting the nod with the Nebraska transfer also speaking to the media on Wednesday. Thomas started against Nebraska, but Raiola entered the game in the second half and provided a spark for the Oregon offense, a role reversal from the UCLA game that ended in a loss for the Ducks.

How the Illinois game plays out remains to be seen, but the Ducks likely can't afford to lose another game and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

A timeline on the returns of Dante Moore, Stewart, and McClellan are currently unknown, meaning the Oregon offense will have to find success with a younger combination of receivers and potential question marks at quarterback.

Oregon vs. Illinois will kick off at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 24.