Oregon has landed former Tulane standout Makhi Hughes as the Ducks’ latest addition in the transfer portal. The news was first reported by Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports.

While this is a drastic jump in terms of both location and conference, there are some ties there that could have factored into Hughes’ decision outside of the pure appeal of a team that made the College Football Playoff this season. Hughes’ brother is Na’eem Offord, a 5-star cornerback who signed with Oregon for the Class of 2025.

That means this pair will likely be seeing the field together (though on opposite sides of the ball, of course), sooner rather than later. Hughes is expected to challenge for the starting job in the Oregon backfield as soon as he gets to Eugene after Jordan James recently declared for the 2025 NFL Draft.

And Hughes has put together a body of work that shows just how consistent and effective he is, tallying 2,779 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2 seasons on the field at Tulane.

The 5-foot-11 back missed the 2022 season with an injury but stepped into a leading role in the Green Wave backfield in 2023. During the 2024 campaign, he averaged 5.3 yards per carry while rushing for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns

Hughes was an absolute star in the AAC for the better part of his time at Tulane, but it will be interesting to see where he fits in and how he stacks up against higher-level competition in the Big Ten.

He joins former Florida State wideout Malik Benson as marquee portal wins on the offensive side of the football for the Ducks so far this offseason. Hughes’ commitment makes 8 known transfer pledges for the Ducks now.