Oregon Ducks Face Roster Overhaul, Pin Transfer Portal Hopes on Guards and Centers

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon’s offseason has turned into a full-scale reconstruction. More than half of last season’s roster has either exhausted eligibility or entered the transfer portal, leaving head coach Dana Altman with a depth chart that currently resembles a blank whiteboard and a to-do list that starts—and almost ends—with the word “guards.”

The Ducks’ backcourt was gutted when Takai Simpkins and Drew Carter graduated and Jackson Shelstad and Wei Lin opted for the portal. Oregon’s 2026 recruiting class signed zero guards, so any immediate help must come through the portal. Altman’s staff is expected to pursue multiple ball-handlers, prioritizing anyone who can absorb minutes and stabilize a position that is now the program’s most glaring void.

The departures of Shelstad and forward Kwame Evans Jr. also free up a sizable pool of NIL and revenue-sharing capital, giving Oregon flexibility to be aggressive. How that money is deployed—spread across several rotational pieces or concentrated on one high-impact lead guard—will shape the Ducks’ ceiling in their first Big Ten campaign.

Frontcourt concerns run a close second. Starting center Nate Bittle, a fifth-year mainstay, has concluded his Eugene career, and reserve Ege Demir entered the portal on April 8. The result: zero centers on the current roster. Four-star signee Kendre Harrison is ticketed to split time between basketball and football, leaving his basketball availability murky. Altman is expected to target at least two centers, blending youth and experience to avoid relying solely on the two-sport freshman.

Experience is the underlying theme as Oregon scans the portal. With the reigning national champion Michigan Wolverines anchoring a stacked Big Ten, the Ducks cannot afford another season of learning on the fly. Programs that surged in 2024-25 typically leaned on veteran lineups; Altman knows a similar approach is mandatory if Oregon wants to escape the .500 neighborhood.

The coming weeks will reveal whether the Ducks can convert cap space and sales pitches into immediate, proven contributors. For now, the roster sheet is empty, the needs are unmistakable, and the clock toward Big Ten play is already ticking.