2026 NFL Prospect Profile: Oregon’s Running Back Makhi Hughes

Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes will remind some fans and scouts of former Jacksonville Jaguar star Maurice Jones-Drew. He’s built like a bowling ball and may be a bit taller than Jones-Drew (at 5’11”) but he runs with every ounce of his 210 lb frame. 

Hughes jumped into the transfer portal and made the move to Oregon in the offseason. While at Tulane, Hughes posted 1,000-yard seasons as a freshman and sophomore and walked away with some AAC hardware, earning first-team All-AAC honors for his performance on the field. He plans to replicate that effort for the Ducks but will face stiffer competition in the revamped Big Ten. 

Strengths

Hughes runs with the best contact balance in this class of runners. In part, that’s due to his compact frame and running style. But he runs with power, always seeming to bounce off tacklers for an extra yard or two. He projects well at the next level as a goal line runner, and he’s reliable, appearing in every game in his career to date. That’s impressive, especially at a position that expects more injuries than perhaps others. 

Hughes also runs with sneaky acceleration and uses his vision to find creases and cutback lanes. He’s also an above-average blocker and pass protector, which will help him become a 3-down back at the next level. And for a bigger back, he possesses better lateral movement than defenders would expect, using his footwork and “quicks’ to juke tacklers for extra yardage. Lastly, Hughes hasn’t fumbled in his first two years of college ball. Teams will love that aspect of his game—reliability and ball security. 

Weaknesses

Hughes does have some areas in need of improvement, however. He has yet to produce much as a receiver (19 catches in 2 seasons) and when he is called upon to do so, it’s usually as a check-down option, running shorter routes. And while he’s done well in pass pro, he’s mostly contributed as a chip blocker and needs to show more skill and technique for a bigger back. 

Lastly, the jump to Oregon will also mean a jump in the competition level, and Hughes will need to demonstrate consistent play against stiffer competition to maintain his place on many NFL draft boards. 

Conclusion 

Many NFL teams have Hughes listed as a high second-day pick. He’s an intriguing prospect that can become a 3-down starter in the NFL but isn’t dynamic enough to become a first-round talent. He’s a bruising runner with pro-level vision and shiftiness to make some team very happy in round two. If he can stay as consistent at Oregon against better talent as he was at Tulane, he will hear his name called next April, early in round two.