The story of the tight end position at the University of Oregon over the past few years can be summed up in one word: injuries.
Cam McCormick has been hurt for the better part of the past three years. Patrick Herbert has only played one game in the past two seasons, ending all hope of a Herbert-to-Herbert connection before his brother Justin departed for the NFL. Spencer Webb didn’t see the field in 2020 because of injuries.
That trio is healthy at the moment, and alongside veteran DJ Johnson they give Oregon one of the deepest, most talented groups of tight ends the school has had in a very long time.
Heck, true freshman Moliki Matavao was one of the most sought-after tight ends in the country in the class of 2021, and he is an afterthought on Oregon’s depth chart this season – although he will be a big piece of their future at the spot, potentially alongside redshirt freshman Tyler Nanney and true freshmen Terrance Ferguson and Cooper Shultz, who were left off the depth chart for this year as they are unlikely to play much, if at all.
Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is comfortable utilizing tight ends in his offensive schemes, and while fans did not get to see a ton of it last year because of injuries and the pandemic-shortened season, 2021’s depth should allow Moorhead, Mario Cristobal, and quarterback Anthony Brown to get very creative with this group of talented young men.
Without further ado, here is a look at the depth chart heading into the upcoming season: