CHICK-FIL-A PEACH BOWL: OREGON VS INDIANA

January 7, 2026

Will Stein

Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Oregon Ducks

Press Conference

WILL STEIN: J-Mac has had a great year for us. He's very dependable, runs great routes. He's physical in the blocking game. And then Malik has obviously been a home run hit for us.

I'm just very proud of both those guys for sticking to it. It's so hard in today's age where there's so many outside factors for these players, so many people in their ear. The guys that just stick to it, trust their coaches, trust the scheme, and you see what happens.

I'm very proud of both of them and our entire receiving corps. I think they've done a great job this season. Looking forward to continuing that here in two days.

Q. (Indiscernible).

WILL STEIN: It's the same thing when we didn't have receivers. You've got to compromise. You've got to be adaptable. This offense has really been built through 11 personnel and 12, and then we played some 21 this year because of because of injuries to wide outs. Still feel like we have enough to work in that personnel.

But yeah, we definitely have to get the right guys. That's the whole key to football. Can you get the best 11 on the field to give you the best chance of moving the football and scoring.

Q. (Indiscernible).

WILL STEIN: Yeah, to me it's still 13. It's kind of how they want to match you. If we get big, they'll get big. If they don't get big, we're going to give you some other advantages. When Roger and Kenyon and Jamar are out there, I consider it 13.

Q. (On Harris' confidence)?

WILL STEIN: Yeah, shoot, I've seen Jay Harris perform in practice for the past two years. When he got here from D-II, he barely knew the plays, so we had to develop him in that sense. Then I think you really saw him start to flourish last fall at practice. He had a great camp, great spring. The football gods, everything kind of works out a certain way. I don't think we all knew how good Dierre and Jordon were going to be for us this year. But when they got opportunities in games, it was like, whoa, these guys are different. That doesn't mean that other players are worse. You've just got to find people and find their roles.

Jay, I think he's an exceptional back. He's got great balance. He can run. He can really catch the ball. So I think he's at a spot now to really flourish given the opportunity.

Q. (Indiscernible).

WILL STEIN: They do a lot of really good stuff. They do a good job of making you play left-handed with different fronts like you mentioned, different line games, different coverage, stems or rolls. They play with vision.

It's different when you match every route. These guys play with great vision on the quarterback. You have to keep him in front. When you do get a big play, which is rare, it's because you're finding seams in the defense, but they just bring it from everywhere. It's a credit to them as players for understanding their scheme like the back of their hand, and I think Haines is definitely one of the better guys in our games in terms of making quarterbacks play left-handed.

Q. (Indiscernible).

WILL STEIN: Yeah, I mean, I've got a lot of guys back there that are helping, but I really just try to stay present. Those guys are doing a hell of a job back there for me, but they also know that the most important thing for that program is for us to be successful here at Oregon because it's a testament to what the blueprint is and how they're going to be successful.

Yeah, I've got a lot of help there. I've got a lot of help here. I've got great family support, too. It's really exciting being in this position.

Q. (Indiscernible).

WILL STEIN: Well, I was told I look refreshed today, which I have not felt that way, that's for sure. Again, the NFL playoffs are starting. This is a long freaking season. Long season.

It's human nature. Everybody is tired. Everybody is cranky at times. It's colder out. It gets dark sooner. It's human nature, everybody is feeling that type of way. It's the people that can handle the chaos the best are the people that succeed the most in our sport right now.

Is it easy? No, it's not easy for anybody. Me, Dan, Curt Cignetti, Kirby Smart, Nick Saban. It's just not easy.

But that's what we signed up for. That's why they pay us a lot of money to coach a kids' sport. It's the greatest gig in the world. Somebody told me there's no crying from a yacht. So I'm very blessed and fortunate and looking forward to this game.