Oregon's receiver room should be a strength in 2025. It overflows with talent despite sending Tez Johnson, Terrance Ferguson and Traeshon Holden to the NFL.
Add in Jordan James, the max-effort running back who caught 26 passes for 209 yards last season, and there's a lot of productivity to replace in the Oregon passing game.
Will Stein has to rebuild it, and in doing so he has to tweak the design a bit. This group of quarterbacks and receivers possesses a different set of traits and skills than his 2023 and 2024 offenses.
Those teams revolved around Johnson and his ability to get yards after catch on crossing routes and in the scramble drill. Dante Moore and Austin Novosad are pocket passers, where Bo Nix and Dillon Gabriel thrived on extending plays and creating outside the pocket.
It'll be a different mix of routes and play designs in 2025. The Ducks will still have the high-percentage quick game, and Moore is not without athletic ability, but taking off and running or designed keepers are not his forte.
To be effective as an offense, Moore will have to stretch the field and hit targets at the deep and intermediate levels. Who will he rely on when he needs a key first down?
Last season the Ducks were No. 9 in the nation at converting on third down, moving the chains 48.6 percent of the time. Moore will have to go some to duplicate that number. He won't make as many first downs with his legs or mobility.
Ranking the candidates to lead Oregon in receiving
1. Evan Stewart Senior, 6-0, 175 wide receiver from Frisco, Texas
Production last season: 48 catches, 613 yards, 5 touchdowns, 12.8 yards per catch.
Stewart is in his contract year. He's a senior, a former five-star recruit who wants to be a first-round draft pick in the NFL. He has good hands and body control, but he missed the Rose Bowl and the Spring Game with injuries.
Stewart revealed his potential in moments, but the key to his emergence is consistency. He can be spectacular like he was reeling in a one-handed catch against Michigan, or torching OSU for seven catches and 149 yards, or he can disappear.
Key questions: Can Stewart deliver every week, staying healthy through 13+ games? Does he develop the trust and rapport necessary with a new starting quarterback? How much drive does he have to be great?
Kenyon Sadiq
Junior, 6-3, 245 tight end from Idaho Falls, Idaho
Production last season: 24 catches, 208 yards, 2 touchdowns, 12.8 yards per catch
Sadiq is a freak. He's a unique talent with size and 22 mph speed on the GPS. Stein's on record as saying that he could be the best tight end in college football this year and the third-year Oregon offensive coordinator has compared him to Brock Bowers.
The three best tight end seasons in Oregon history:
Terrance Ferguson 2024 43 catches 591 yards 3 TDs, 13.7 yards per catch
Ed Dickson 2009 42 catches 551 yards 6 TDs, 13.1 yards per catch
Blake Spence 1997 38 catches 631 yards, 6 TDs, 15.9 yards per catch
Some top seasons by tight end stars in college football:
Brock Bowers 2022 63 catches 942 yards 7 TDs, 15.0 per catch
Tyler Warren 2024 104 catches 1233 yards 8 TDs, 11.9 per catch
Colston Loveland 2024 56 catches 582 yards 5 TDs, 10.4 per catch
Sadiq has the ability to match any of these players in terms of speed and hands. His productivity should benefit from his versatility, being a unique body type who can flex out, block in-line or even line up as a wide receiver.
Key questions: How creative and aggressive does Will Stein get in using Kenyon Sadiq? Is Sadiq ready mentally to be the feature guy rather than a bit player?
Dakorien Moore
5-star true freshman from Duncanville, Texas, 5-11, 182
Production last season: At Duncanville High School, 74 receptions for 1,460 yards and 19 TDs on 19.7 yards per catch
Moore is phenomenally gifted, fast, twitchy, explosive, dangerous with the ball in his hands. His body control is spectacular, the No. 1 receiver in the nation in the class of 2025.
Oregon has been reluctant to use and trust freshmen wide receivers, very slow to work them into the lineup.
Jeremiah McClellan 2024 3 catches 24 yards
Jurrion Dickey 2023 1 catch 7 yards
At his previous stops new wide receiver coach Ross Douglas has shown the ability to identify and develop the potential of his room to a high degree. Syracuse had three receivers who achieved career highs last season, far exceeding anything they'd done in their careers
Jackson Meeks WR 78 catches 1,021 yards 7 TDs 13.1 yards per catch
Trebor Pena WR 84 catches 941 yards 9 TDs 11.2 yards per catch
Oronde Gadsden II TE 73 catches 934 yards 7 TDs, 12.8 yards per catch
The ability to recognize and develop talent like this makes Douglas a great hire for the Ducks, because this year they have to create a new offensive mix. This passing attack has high potential, but it's unformed going into August camp.
It will take work and teaching to make it cohesive.
Top two freshman receivers in 2024:
Jeremiah Smith Ohio State 76 catches 1315 yds 17.30 ypc 15 TDs
Ryan Williams Alabama 48 catches 865 yds 18.02 ypc 8 TDs
The rest of the Oregon receiver room has talent, but these three are the contenders to lead the team in receiving. Gary Bryant Jr., Dillon Gresham, Justius Lowe, Malik Benson, Kyler Kasper, McClellan and Dickey will compete for roles as WR-3 and WR-4.
Key questions: How quickly can Moore make the adjustment to college football, the physical demands and the speed of the game? Are Stein and Lanning ready to trust a freshman in a No. 1 role?
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