The 2026 NFL Draft isn’t particularly strong at running back. On Wednesday, it got even worse.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning confirmed that running back Makhi Hughes had asked to be redshirted after an underwhelming start to his 2025 campaign. The team is likely to oblige, hoping to keep the high-profile transfer in Eugene despite this bout of adversity.
For the Ducks, it’s a soft blow to an offense that has found success without him. For teams looking for running backs on Day 2, Hughes’s decision could prove meaningful.
What does Hughes’s decision mean for the NFL Draft?
Hughes entered the year with a good bit of hype, faring well on consensus boards and earning praise from some of the biggest figures in the NFL Draft world.
It goes without saying that his 2025 season hasn’t gone as planned. Through four games, he’s logged just 17 attempts for 70 yards, along with two catches for 24 yards. He has yet to find the end zone.
That comes as a surprise, given the immense success Hughes found at Tulane. He led the conference in attempts (258) and yards (1,378) as a freshman and topped 1,400 yards in 2024. Hughes seemed like a lock for similar production with NFL-caliber talents around him in Oregon, boasting elite athleticism and a track record of production.
Subsequently, he was on NFL radars as a potential Day 2 pick. A slow start to his junior campaign put a dent in those aspirations, but with a Big Ten slate of games and a likely College Football Playoff berth, there were plenty of opportunities for Hughes to make up ground and find his footing before April’s NFL Draft.
Now, that won’t be the case. It’s important to note that a transfer isn’t imminent; Hughes can (and likely will) remain with the Ducks for a fresh start in 2026. Of course, that takes him off our board.
This season, four running backs have more carries than Hughes, who missed Week 5’s game at Penn State. The emergence of freshman running back Dierre Hill Jr. — who has already found 270 yards and two scores — is part of the blame. Hill figures to be in Eugene next year, too, which adds to Hughes’s calculus.
Oregon wouldn’t be the first offense to play two Sunday players in the same backfield, and splitting time wouldn’t be a death sentence for Hughes’s 2027 stock. However, the change in trajectory from rising transfer to an ancillary piece of Oregon’s offense will be difficult to overcome.
As for the 2026 NFL Draft, Hughes’s departure is a matter of opportunity cost. He fell out of Day 2 talks with his poor September showing and won’t be playing catch-up down the stretch. Instead, the likes of Nick Singleton, Justice Haynes, Darius Taylor, and others will jostle for Day 2 positioning in what looks like a mediocre class of running backs.
Hughes’s talent demands monitoring, but for now, the arrow is firmly pointing down. Hopefully, a clean slate next season allows him to re-establish himself as a star.
