Which second year players are poised for a breakout season in 2025?

Oregon is set to lose several key players to the NFL Draft, creating opportunities for younger talent to step into significant roles. With the Ducks' 2024 recruiting class ranked No. 3 nationally, many of those players will be entering their second year with a chance to make a major impact. Here are the second-year players I believe are most likely to break out in 2025.

SAF Kingston Lopa

Oregon is losing both of its starting safeties, and someone has to fill those spots. Dillon Thieneman will almost certainly take one of them, but the other is up for grabs. I give Lopa a slight edge to start because he saw significant playing time in the Big Ten Championship Game, showing that the staff has a lot of trust in him.

WR Jeremiah McClellan

McClellan was a major recruiting win for Oregon, beating out Ohio State for his commitment, and he appears poised for a significant increase in playing time this year. With Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden off to the NFL, Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore are almost locked into two starting spots, leaving one more up for grabs. McClellan, Lowe, Kasper, Dickey, and Benson will compete for that final spot, but I believe McClellan has a strong chance to earn a starting role by Week 1.

CB Ify Obidegwu

The secondary is by far the most wide-open position battle this offseason, and I believe Obidegwu will see significant playing time this year. Someone told me he could be the best corner on the team next season, and I have no reason to doubt it. If he doesn’t earn a starting spot, I’d be very surprised.

DL Tionne Gray

Gray was only rated as a 3-star, but he might end up being the best defensive lineman from Oregon's 2024 class. The same source who told me about Ify also mentioned that Gray is the most game-ready defensive lineman from last year's stellar recruiting haul. He’s coming off an undisclosed injury, but he told me he’s back to 100% and ready to go. I’d bet he sees significantly more playing time this season.

RB Da'Juan Riggs

Oregon lost Jordan James to the draft, but they brought in Tulane star Mahki Hughes to take his place. Whittington is also back, but I think Riggs is too good to keep off the field. I don't think he will start over those two, but I think he will take on a similar situation that Jordan James did as a freshman, where he gets a few carries a game.

CB Sione Laulea

This might be cheating since he's technically a JUCO transfer, but I expect Laulea to see significantly more playing time this season. At 6'4 with great speed, he has the ideal traits for a cornerback, making it hard to keep him off the field. He appeared in three games last year, recording an interception in one of them. With a little more development, he has the potential to become a future first-round pick.

Others to watch closely: Aydin Breland, Elijah Rushing, Jericho Johnson, Aaron Flowers, Peyton Woodyard, and Brayden Platt.