Ranking the 25 best Oregon Ducks since 2000: No. 5 — Haloti Ngata

Over the last 25 years, the Oregon Ducks have been one of the single best teams in all of college football, sitting near the top of the sport for the better part of a quarter-century. 

Since 2000, Oregon has compiled an overall record of 239-83 (.742), with just two losing seasons during that span. They’ve been to 24 bowl games, won three Rose Bowls, been to a pair of College Football Playoffs, and appeared in two National Championships. They’ve seen a Heisman Trophy winner in Marcus Mariota and had 99 players selected in the NFL Draft. 

It’s safe to say that when looking at the nation’s best in this millennium, Oregon belongs in the conversation. But who are the players who helped get Nike University into that conversation? That’s a different question entirely. 

To celebrate the quarter-century mark, we’re going to dive into that question over the next month as we approach the start of the 2025 season. The Ducks have had hundreds of memorable and beloved players over the years, many of whom will live on forever in some way. 

But who is the best of the best? 

That answer, of course, is subjective. When reviewing the numbers and conducting our research, we took several factors into account: career statistics, overall impact and success, legacy, fan adoration, and NFL success. 

Boiling 25 years of Oregon football down to 25 players is no easy task, and not one that we took lightly. Dozens of players were left on the cutting room floor who deserve a spot in the top 25, and at some point, subtracting names off the list started to feel like pulling teeth. But in the end, we were left with 25 players, whom we will honor over the next few weeks.

If you want to catch up, let’s take a look at how we’ve gotten to where we’re at in the rankings:

• No. 25 — Bucky Irving 
• No. 24 — TJ Ward 
• No. 23 — Tez Johnson 
• No. 22 — Troy Dye 
• No. 21 — Samie Parker 
• No. 20 — Patrick Chung 
• No. 19 — Kayvon Thibodeaux 
• No. 18 — Troy Franklin 
• No. 17 — Nick Reed 
• No. 16 — Jairus Byrd 
• No. 15 — Jeff Maehl 
• No. 14 — Walter Thurmond III
• No. 13 — Bo Nix
• No. 12 — Penei Sewell
• No. 11 — DeForest Buckner
• No. 10 — Joey Harrington
• No. 9 — Dennis Dixon
• No. 8 — Jonathan Stewart
• No. 7 — De'Anthony Thomas
• No. 6 — Kenjon Barner

Today, let's continue with No. 5 — the dominant force, Haloti Ngata.

Player Overview

Standing six-foot-five and 338 pounds, Haloti Ngata wasn't just the most physically imposing Duck during his tenure; he was perhaps the most physically imposing figure in all of college football. He completely dominated the line of scrimmage in three seasons of action at Oregon, racking up the individual accolades and leading his team to victory, especially in his final season.

Ngata parlayed his success with the Ducks into an impressive NFL career, as he continued earning the top honors in the sport. Ngata made it look easy thanks to his size, athleticism and brute strength. He's one of the top interior defensive lineman to ever wear the green and yellow.

Haloti Ngata Career Stats

101 tackles, 6 sacks, 24.5 TFL, seven blocked kicks

Haloti Ngata Single Best Season

2005 — 61 tackles, 3 sacks, 9 TFL

During his senior season in 2005, Ngata was a force to be reckoned with. No one team could seem to stop him, as he routinely bulled over blockers on his way to the ball. Ngata claimed the Morris Trophy (given to the nation's best interior defensive lineman) for his efforts as well as being named a consensus First-Team All-American, Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year and Team MVP.

The Ducks followed up a disappointing five-win campaign in 2004 by doubling their win title, going 10-2 under Hall of Fame head coach Mike Bellotti and with Ngata's reckless abandon style of play.

Haloti Ngata NFL Draft

Ngata was selected with the 12th overall pick in the first round by the Baltimore Ravens, where he'd spend a majority of his NFL career.

Haloti Ngata NFL Success

While Ngata was a beast at Oregon, he made an even bigger name for himself in the NFL. During his 13-year career, Ngata registered 517 total tackles, 32.5 sacks and 63 TFL. He spent nine seasons with the Ravens (winning Super Bowl XLVII), three seasons with the Detroit Lions and his final year with the Philadelphia Eagles.

When it was all said and done, Ngata left the game in 2018 as one of the top interior defensive lineman of his generation, earning five Pro Bowl selections, two First-Team All-Pro honors and three-time Second-Team All-Pro honors. He has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and could likely be inducted in the coming years.

Haloti Ngata's Lasting Legacy

Ngata left a lasting impact on the Oregon football program, as he was the first among a slew of defensive lineman in the 25 years since 2000. He was easily one of the most dominant Ducks on the field and was honored for it by being named to the Pac-12 "All-Century Team" and being inducted into Oregon's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.

Not only did Ngata excel in Eugene, but he took it to the highest level. Ngata continued to make the Oregon faithful proud long after his four-year tenure with the Ducks.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks football's top 25 players since 2000: No. 5 Haloti Ngata