"Doing what Nick Saban & Kirby Smart teams do": Dan Lanning receives eye-catching compliment from former WR after Oregon's unbeaten start

After beating the Illinois Fighting Illini 38-9 on Saturday, Dan Lanning's record as head coach advances to 30-5. He went 10-3 and 12-2 the previous two seasons.

Lanning spent three seasons as Georgia Bulldogs' defensive coordinator (2019-21) under Kirby Smart, constructing some of the most dominant defenses in college football's recent history.

But it's not just Smart he worked under. In 2015, Lanning worked as a grad assistant with the Alabama Crimson Tide under then-head coach Nick Saban.

"Dan Lanning's team right now at Oregon is doing what Nick Saban teams did for a long time at (Alabama)," former wide receiver.J.D. PicKell said. "Doing what Kirby Smart teams at Georgia are doing right now."

J.D PicKell hails Dan Lanning's perfect start to legendary coach

Nick Saban and Kirby Smart have both had poor beginnings and sometimes they win by fewer points than predicted. But when the lights came on against the toughest opponents, they delivered at the championship level.

Dan Lanning opened the season with the Oregon Ducks scraping the Idaho Vandals 24-14. Many were alarmed by the outcome, questioning Oregon's playoff validity. But they've gotten better each week, with Lanning's trademark win as head coach over Ohio State, 32-31.

It all seems to be going in the right direction for Lanning to be put into the upper echelon of college coaches if he isn't already.

"We have not seen a letdown from Lanning's Ducks," PicKell said via On3. "All the comps in the preseason....'is Dan Lanning maybe the next Kirby Smart?' From the Kirby Smart tree, from the Nick Saban tree, is he maybe that next guy in line?"

Lanning already checked the box of having that recognizable powerhouse, something new he brought to the table when Oregon was still in the Pac-12. Now, he's got the winning to back it up.

Oregon is set to take on Michigan on Sunday, Nov 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET.