There were some notable absences for the Oregon Ducks in Week 1 against the Portland State Vikings, but it’s unclear which of the absences were for health reasons or not.
Based on the attendance at practice over the past couple of weeks, the fact that linebacker Jestin Jacobs, offensive lineman Nishod Strother and tight end Casey Kelly missed the game does not come as a major surprise. The absences of RB Noah Whittington, S Evan Williams, WR Kris Hutson, and LB Mase Funa were more surprising.
On Monday night, Dan Lanning met with media members in his weekly press conference and gave an update on the situation for a few players. Unsurprisingly, it was brief.
"I feel good about progress with those guys."
That's all Dan Lanning was willing to say about the availability for Evan Williams, Nishad Strother, and Jestin Jacobs going into this week of practice.
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) September 5, 2023
Initially, Lanning replied to the question about those players by saying that he was not going to answer any questions about anyone who did not play on Saturday. He said the same thing again when asked whether or not Hutson would be able to play this week.
For those who have followed Lanning’s career at Oregon, none of this comes as a surprise. He is often unwilling to share any information about players and their health, so this is par for the course.
Media members will be able to take in the first 20 minutes of practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we will get a better sense of who is present or absent for the Ducks.
I will have an injury report come out later in the week with more details.
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