Oregon was hoping the opt-outs for the Holiday Bowl would be held to a minimum, but the Ducks received word that at least one more player has decided to go to the NFL draft.
It was recently announced that linebacker Noah Sewell would indeed opt out of the bowl game in San Diego and concentrate on preparing himself for the draft in April.
Sewell is projected to be an early-round draft pick in April, with some mock drafts having him taken as early as late in the first round.
Before coming to Oregon, Sewell was one of the highest-rated prospects to commit to the program and he has lived up to his 5-star billing.
He was the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 and a Freshman Al-American where he led the team with 45 tackles in Oregon’s seven games during that pandemic season.
In 2021, Sewell played in all 14 games where he was a Pac-12 First-Team selection. He led Oregon and ranked second in the Pac-12 with 114 total tackles, 37 more than any other Duck, and four sacks.
This last season under Dan Lanning, Sewell’s numbers dropped with the new coaching staff. He accumulated just 56 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Sewell did intercept a pass and scored his first rushing touchdown in the rout over Colorado.
As the younger brother of former first-round draft pick and Oregon legend Penei Sewell, the legacy of the Sewell name will live on in Eugene for a long time.
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