Greg McElroy puts Dan Lanning in the spotlight with top 5 inclusion

Dan Lanning is preparing his Oregon Ducks for what will be their second season in the Big Ten Conference. He is hoping that the Ducks will be able to replicate their success from the 2024 season, and potentially go one step better and win the national championship in 2025.

Lanning will go into the season as one of the top coaches in college football, according to analyst Greg McElroy. On the latest edition of the "Always College Football" podcast, the former Alabama quarterback gave a list of his top 10 coaches.

Lanning came in fifth, with McElroy saying the following about him.

"(Lanning) is off to a blistering start after taking the head coaching role at Oregon. He is at a remarkable 35-6. Those 35 wins are, by far, the most to start a career at Oregon.

"It's pretty impressive to think about what has been accomplished in his tenure. What's most impressive is probably the 10-6 record against AP-ranked teams and his ability to adapt to the modern era." (17:35)

Dan Lanning was hired by the Oregon Ducks before the 2022 season, and in only three years in charge, he has been able to make this program one of the best in the country.

During his three years with the team, he has led them to a Pac-12 conference game (losing to ranked Washington) and won the Big Ten Conference in the Ducks' first year in the conference with an unbeaten record.

Losses have been a rare occurrence for Lanning, and the six losses that he has to his name are all against teams of similar strength that are ranked in the top 25.

This included two defeats to a Washington Huskies side that made the National Championship game in 2023. There was also a defeat in the Rose Bowl to eventual national champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes, last season.

Through effective recruitment and strong use of the transfer portal, Lanning has been able to create a Ducks side that is strong enough to constantly compete with the best teams in college football. However, the one thing that eludes him is a playoff run. Could 2025 be the year?

Who else did Greg McElroy rank in his top 10?

Greg McElroy also mentioned nine other coaches whom he thinks are going into the season as the best in college football. Here are the other coaches he mentioned:

• 10. James Franklin (Penn State Nittany Lions)
• 9. Brian Kelly (LSU Tigers)
• 8. Jeff Brohm (Louisville Cardinals)
• 7. Dabo Swinney (Clemson Tigers)
• 6. Kalen DeBoer (Alabama Crimson Tide)
• 4. Marcus Freeman (Notre Dame Fighting Irish)
• 3. Steve Sarkisian (Texas Longhorns)
• 2. Ryan Day (Ohio State Buckeyes)
• 1. Kirby Smart (Georgia Bulldogs)