The Oregon Ducks wrapped up their final practice before game week on Wednesday afternoon in Eugene, but it didn’t come without some news that turned the heads of fans.
Reporters made note going into practice that starting running back Jordan James was not with the team to start the day, making it the first practice that he has missed this fall. Defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner was also not with the team once again, making it his fourth consecutive missed practice.
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Afterward, head coach Dan Lanning met with media members to discuss fall camp as a whole, and he had this to say about the players, starting with James:
“It’s just precautionary today,” Lanning said. “He’s got a lot of wear and tear and we felt like this was a good day to pull some off of him.”
That’s good news for the Ducks, who kick off the 2024 season in just over a week with a home game against the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, August 31.
However, it wasn’t quite as good of news when talking about Gardner, a redshirt freshman lineman.
“My’Keil is probably going to be down for a while,” Lanning said. “We’re anxious to get him back, but it won’t be something that happens overnight. He’s going to be down for a little bit.”
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Gardner played in one game as a true freshman in 2023, registering one tackle against Portland State before redshirting. If he is held out for much of the 2024 season, you can expect that he may utilize a medical redshirt before coming back again in 2025, but until we know more about his injury situation, it is hard to forecast what lies ahead for the talented defender.
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