Three key Oregon tight end storylines ahead of fall camp 2023

Fall camp is just around the corner for the Oregon Ducks ahead of Dan Lanning’s second season at the helm of the program.

After a 10-3 finish in 2022, Lanning and his staff went to work this offseason overhauling the Ducks’ roster to fit their vision. Oregon will welcome a 30-player signing class that ranked eighth nationally, and it has also added 14 players by way of the transfer portal.

It goes without saying that the 2023 version of Lanning’s Ducks will look vastly different than the 2022 iteration.

As we inch closer to August, the ScoopDuck staff has identified three prominent storylines regarding each of Oregon’s position groups.

Next up, the tight ends.

Terrance Ferguson’s health status

In Terrance Ferguson, the Ducks have one of the top tight ends in the conference. But it’s unclear at this point if the 6-foot-6, 230-pound junior will be full-go when fall camp begins.

The UO coaching staff shut Ferguson down during spring ball due to an arm injury and did not provide a timeline for when he might return to the field.

“He’s going to be down for a while,” Lanning said in April. “For us, we’re going to be precautionary there with him and hold him out for the rest of spring.”

Ferguson was an all-conference honorable mention selection in 2022 after catching 32 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns. When Cam McCormick and Moliki Matavao hit the transfer portal during the offseason, he became the Ducks’ clear-cut No. 1 tight end option.

There’s no reason to believe at this point that Ferguson won’t be full-go for Week 1. We should find out in the next few weeks exactly where he is in his progression.

What will the transfer additions bring?

After the offseason departures of McCormick and Matavao, it was clear that Oregon would need to add at least one difference-maker at the position via the portal. Ferguson’s absence during spring ball only magnified the lack of depth at the position.

“Obviously, we’re going to have to figure something out for that,” Oregin tight ends coach Drew Mehringer said after the news of Ferguson’s injury broke. “Talking with Lanning and (offensive coordinator Will Stein) we have a really good plan going ahead, moving forward with that.”

That plan entailed adding fourth-year junior and former Ole Miss standout Casey Kelly. The Ducks also landed a walk-on commitment from Colorado freshman Kaden Ludwick, a former 3-star recruit in the class of 2022 who played outside linebacker for the Buffs last season.

In 19 career games at Ole Miss, Kelly caught 28 passes for 282 yards and three touchdowns while operating in a reserve role.

While it’s unlikely that Kelly or Ludwick see a greater share of playing time than Ferguson or Herbert, both could prove to be significant additions as the Ducks work to replace a large portion of their tight end production from last season.

How impactful can Kenyon Sadiq be as a true freshman?

Even with the additions of Kelly and Ludwick, Oregon will likely lean on blue-chip freshman Kenyon Sadiq this fall.

A 4-star signee from the 2023 class, Sadiq is an uber-athletic tight end who has drawn comparisons to former Ole Miss star and first-round NFL Draft pick Evan Engram. According to On3, Sadiq was the No. 118 overall player and No. 6 tight end in his class.

Mehringer has praised Sadiq’s mentality and work ethic, saying the freshman “rarely makes the same mistake twice.”

Sadiq was one of Oregon’s standout early enrollees during spring. He won’t struggle from a physicality standpoint as a freshman and has a significant opportunity to secure immediate playing time.

“He’s got to go out there and show he can play consistent football for us,” Mehringer said on April 15. “Not just, Can we go out there and throw you a hitch route and see what happens?’ You’ve got to be able to play all three facets of the game for us — run blocking, pass-catching and pass protection. He’s got to be able to do that, but right now I just think he’s drinking from a fire hose. … I think he’s got a lot to show, but I think it’s a little early right now. I think these next two weeks for him are going to be really really important.”

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