Oregon coach Dan Lanning announced Wednesday that preseason All-American running back Makhi Hughes has asked to redshirt this season.
Lanning said the team plans to honor Hughes’ request.
Hughes was the No. 1 running back and No. 6 overall player in ESPN’s transfer rankings and joined from Tulane in the offseason after a 1,401-yard, 17-touchdown campaign in 2024. After earning first-team honors in the American Athletic Conference in back-to-back years, Hughes was expected to be a key part of No. 2-ranked Oregon’s rushing attack.
Through four games with the Ducks, however, Hughes’ role has been limited. He has carried the ball 17 times for 70 yards and has yet to score a touchdown. The 5-foot-11, 210-pound redshirt junior from Alabama did not travel to Oregon’s most recent game at then-No. 3 Penn State, which the Ducks, ranked No. 6 at the time, won in overtime.
The Ducks have instead relied on a deep running back room led by freshman standout Dierre Hill Jr., who has emerged as one of Oregon’s top rushers (270 yards on 26 carries), as well as mainstays junior Jayden Limar and senior Noah Whittington.
Freshman Jordon Davison has been a welcome addition as well, totaling a team-high seven rushing touchdowns. Oregon boasts a top-15 rushing attack in the country.
Hughes missed the 2022 season due to an injury and took a medical redshirt. Now that he is set to redshirt this season, he will have two years of eligibility remaining going into next year and the option to transfer once again.
