Tag: Justius Lowe

Glimmers of Justius Lowe: UO color analyst likes what he sees from freshman WR

“I’ve seen some little glimpses of things from him in practices throughout the spring where you go ‘Wow, that guy can play.'”

We talk a lot about the wide receivers currently on the Oregon Ducks roster in Eugene. While it is a position group that we spend a lot of time breaking down and picking apart, there are arguably four or five guys who get most of the attention: Troy Franklin, Tez Johnson, Kris Hutson, Traeshon Holden, and at times, Kyler Kasper.

It’s understandable why these guys get the most attention; they are the ones who project to be the biggest difference-makers in the 2023 season, with a trio of them starting, and the other two likely rotating in early and often.

However, there is one guy who started to pop a bit in the spring game last Saturday, surprising to most who were watching.

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It was redshirt freshman Justius Lowe, a former 4-star WR from Lake Oswego who hasn’t had much of an opportunity to show what he can do yet in his time with the Ducks.

When talking on the Sco-ing Long Podcast to Mike Jorgenson, the long-time Oregon radio color analyst alongside Voice of the Ducks Jerry Allen, I asked about who stood out to him at the spring game, and what he thought of the receivers on offense. For the most part, he was impressed with what he saw.

“I think when you take Hutson, and Franklin, and Holden and put them in there as a group, or you put in Tez Johnson and mix him in…frankly I’ve seen some glimmers of Justius Lowe,” Jorgenson said. “I think he’s going to be a guy…watch out for him.”

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While a breakout and stand-alone spring game performance is not always indicative to future success, what Jorgenson has seen from Lowe goes beyond just one scrimmage in April. While the freshman didn’t get an opportunity on the field in 2022, he’s been showing some things so far in practice this past month that might move the needle.

“I’ve seen some little glimpses of things from him in practices throughout the spring where you go ‘Wow, that guy can play,'” Jorgenson said. “I think he’s going to be a factor as time goes on. Keep an eye on him.”

Had this opinion come from an Oregon beat reporter like myself, it might need to be taken with a grain of salt. We are allowed to see only so much of practice, and a couple of 11-on-11 drills over a four-week span may not be enough of a sample size to project highly for a young player trying to break out. However, Jorgenson is allowed practice access, and he spends time at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex watching the ins and outs of what the Ducks do each day in April.

If he’s seen Lowe flash on the field, I believe it.

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Oregon coaching staff impressed by WR Justius Lowe after being ‘thrown into the fire’

Ducks WR Justius Lowe was thrown into the deep end and asked to swim this spring. The Oregon coaches have been impressed thus far.

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Take a trip back in time to the spring of your senior year of high school. You may have been getting ready for prom or feverishly applying for colleges and hoping to get that acceptance letter.

For Oregon Ducks wide receiver Justius Lowe, that spring has gone a bit differently. After enrolling early with the Ducks, Lowe, a Portland native, has spent his past couple of months in Eugene getting used to college life. While it’s one thing to pick up and move to a new town, it’s another to throw in a season of spring football on top of that.

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Lowe is being thrown into the deep end and asked to swim when it comes to that matter. After picking up football late in his career, Lowe impressed college recruiters and earn a four-star rating despite his relative lack of experience. Much of that was based on his intangibles and athleticism, not to mention his impressive track abilities.

At Oregon, he is being asked to hold his own against players who have lived and breathed football as long as they could walk. Early reports out of spring camp are that he is adapting adequately.

“Justius has been good,” said wide receivers coach Junior Adams. “Just to graduate early and be able to get here for spring ball, and I want to say his second or third day being here he was in pads and making plays.”

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That hasn’t been without some growing pains, though. Adams remarked the first couple of days were tough for Lowe to get into the groove. Understandably so, as the college game is faster and more physical than the high school game, regardless of how much experience you have.

“His first play, I’ll never forget it — he had a ball over the middle and doinks him off the head, and we see him respond the next time and makes a play. That’s how Justius is. Since he’s gotten here, he’s progressed, and steadily gotten better and competed. I can’t even imagine what it’s like being in his shoes coming in and being thrown into the fire and being able to adjust. He’s been impressive that way.”

It’s not just the receivers coach Lowe is impressing, but the top man himself. When I asked head coach Dan Lanning on Saturday what he’s seen from the Lake Oswego prospect over the past few weeks, Lanning remarked he actually made note of how Lowe played in Saturday’s scrimmage and the progress he showed.

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“He’s actually a guy I made a note on today because he’s had some tough days early coming on and I thought he made a stand, you know, a big improvement today,” Lanning said. “He got some competitive balls, played physical at times. So I was excited to see that from him, looking for him to continue to progress.” 

While Oregon’s WR room is young, there is a lot of talent looking for minutes on the field. At the top of the depth chart are guys like Troy Franklin, Dont’e Thornton, Kris Hutson, Chase Cota, and Seven McGee. Then there are proven assets like Isaah Crocker and Josh Delgado fighting to get their reps. With all of that in front of him, it’s hard to say how quickly we will see Lowe get onto the field for the Ducks.

However, if he continues to improve at the rate he is and pick up the nuances of the sport in such a rapid fashion, there’s a good chance we will be hearing his name over the loudspeaker at Autzen Stadium sooner than we think.

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Oregon football storylines to follow: Which true freshmen will have an instant impact this spring?

We only know of a few true freshmen to join the Ducks for spring ball, but can’t wait to see which players have an instant impact.

The past couple of months of Oregon Football have certainly been eventful, all the while very little action took place on the field. A new coaching staff has been put into place, and a top-25 recruiting class has been signed. Meanwhile, highly-rated transfers have come to Eugene, and a few key players have left for new destinations.

For an Oregon fan, there are a lot of storylines to keep track of, and with Spring Practice starting on March 10th, we will likely get a few answers in the coming weeks. So which ones should you be paying the most attention to? We tried to help answer that question in our continuing Spring Preview by singling out a few and highlighting what makes them so interesting.

The True Freshmen Watch is On

The Oregon Ducks’ 2022 recruiting class definitely wasn’t the highest-rated that we’ve seen in recent memory, but it garnered a lot of excitement. To be up-front, the Ducks’ 25th-ranked class this year was their worst finish nationally since 2016 when they had the No. 27 overall class. Since then, Oregon has made it into the top-10 a pair of times and been inside the top-15 a total of four times. Despite that, the way that Dan Lanning closed on national signing day gave a burst of energy to the Oregon fanbase.

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A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Ducks’ class was ranked in the 70s after the departure of Mario Cristobal left for Miami. Lanning’s top crew of recruiters managed to build it back up, securing numerous flips from top-rated players like RB Jordan James and OL Dave Iuli, who chose the Ducks over Georgia and Miami, respectively.

Now with spring football on the horizon, we finally get to see some of these players in action.

Earlier this week, Ducks Wire has received confirmation that 4-star CB Jahlil Florence, 4-star WR Justius Lowe, 4-star LB Harrison Taggart, and 4-star ATH Anthony Jones will be enrolling early at Oregon and participating in spring ball, but we are waiting on confirmation from more players.

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While we don’t know the entire list of true freshmen to be enrolling early at Oregon, there has been a noticeable trend as of late that has seen high school seniors choose to graduate early and head off to college as soon as they can in order to get acclimated in the new lifestyle before the summer and football season begins. We saw that last season with QB Ty Thompson and WRs Troy Franklin and Dont’e Thornton, all of whom had impressive days during the Oregon Spring Game. So who will be the newcomers to have a big impact this year?

Without knowing the entire list just yet, it is impossible to say, but there are a number of recent recruits that we have high hopes for in 2022. Let’s touch on a few:

RB Jordan James

We are still waiting on confirmation from 4-star RB Jordan James as to whether or not he will be participating in the spring, but you can guarantee that he is going to attract a lot of eyes once he does finally hit the field in Eugene.

After flipping his commitment on national signing day and choosing the Ducks over the Georgia Bulldogs, there is a hope that he can develop into one of the feature backs for Oregon’s offense. That may not take place this year, with Byron Cardwell and Sean Dollars seemingly leading the way, but whatever we see from James early on will be newsworthy.

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4-star WR Justius Lowe to enroll early, join Oregon Ducks for spring football

Lake Oswego’s Justius Lowe will be enrolling early at Oregon and playing spring football with the Ducks, joining 4-star CB Jahlil Florence.

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Thursday brought the news four-star cornerback Jahlil Florence plans to enroll early at Oregon and join the Ducks for spring football. Now another incoming freshman is joining the fray.

Ducks Wire has confirmed four-star wide receiver Justius Lowe will also enroll early and join the team for spring ball in March.

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Lowe originally committed to the Utah Utes but decommitted and chose the Ducks. He played high school ball at Lake Oswego in the Portland area and thrived as both a defensive back and wide receiver. With the Ducks, he is expected to start as a receiver and add depth to a WR room that had a number of key players leave this offseason.

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With Troy Franklin, Dont’e Thornton and Kris Hutson stepping up as the new top trio in the WR room, the Ducks are looking to fill the depth chart this spring. UCLA transfer Chase Cota certainly helps that cause, but it will be interesting to see how Lowe performs at the college level and if he can make any sort of impact in his early days with the Ducks.

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With 3 Oregon commits, Dan Lanning proved that keeping in-state talent matters to the Ducks

Dan Lanning immediately proved he values in-state talent by signing three of the state’s four top players.

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In Oregon Duck football’s recent history, in-state high school talent hasn’t exactly been a priority. Beginning with Willie Taggert and then Mario Cristobal, the recruiting emphasis has been to go more cross-country with a focus on Texas and SEC country.

To be fair, the state of Oregon hasn’t been a huge hotbed of talent, but even those kids who are the best the state has to offer haven’t been a top priority of the Ducks.

New coach Dan Lanning intends to change that trend and change it immediately.

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“We’re going to battle to keep the best in our state, and we think that we should be able to keep the best in our state,” he said as Oregon announced its 2022 signees. “Obviously (Lake Oswego wide receiver Justius Lowe) is in that category. I think before the day is over with people will realize that we were able to be really competitive in our state and get guys on board on our team.”

Lake Oswego’s Justius Lowe and Oregon Duck signee. Photo by Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Lowe was ranked as the state’s No. 3 rated player, and he was just the appetizer. True to his word, Lanning later secured the commitment of the state’s No. 2 rated player in safety Trejon Williams, a defensive back from Jefferson High in Portland, followed by linebacker Emar’rion Winston, Oregon’s No. 4 prep player out of Central Catholic who also committed to the Ducks.

“My very first day recruiting, the very first time I could get on the road, I spent that day in Oregon, and in Portland, and in the area. That will always be a priority for us, and obviously, for us, we have the ability to go anywhere, and that’s a blessing. But we have to win home first,” Lanning said.

The state’s No. 1 player, wide receiver Darrius Clemons from Westview High, signed with Michigan back in December before Lanning was the Oregon coach. If the timing had been different, Oregon might have been able to land what could have been the Fantastic Four.

But Lanning and his staff have to be overjoyed with the haul they were able to pull in on this late signing day. The Ducks were able to get every single player they expected to sign and even a couple of nice surprises. Running back Jordan James flipped from Georgia to the Ducks and offensive lineman Dave Iuli, a previously verbal commit, spurned Cristobal and Miami, as well as USC and signed with the Ducks.

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Official: 4-star WR Justius Lowe signs with Oregon Ducks

The No. 4 player in the state of Oregon has signed with the Ducks. WR Justius Lowe made it official on Wednesday.

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One of the premier players in the state of Oregon is officially staying home to be a Duck, with Lake Oswego’s 4-star ATH Justius Lowe signing his national letter of intent.

Lowe, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound player who the Ducks are recruiting to play wide receiver, is the No. 4 ranked player in the state of Oregon. He was previously committed to the Utah Utes, but backed off of his commitment and decided to keep things close to home and stay with the Ducks instead.

The WR position is one of need for Oregon, who saw players like Johnny Johnson, Jaylon Redd, Mycah Pittman, and Devon Williams all leave this year, whether to the NFL draft or through the transfer portal. The Ducks have a lot of talent on the outside still, with Troy Franklin, Dont’e Thornton, and Kris Hutson, but they severely need to add some depth at the position.

Lowe can certainly help in that regard.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

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QUACK: Ducks secure commitment from 3-star Justius Lowe, No. 4 player in Oregon

One of the best players in Oregon is staying close to home. Lake Oswego’s 3-star ATH Justius Lowe committed to the Oregon Ducks in the 2022 class.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks secured a great commitment on Tuesday evening, with Lake Oswego star Justius Lowe announcing that he would be coming a couple of hours south on I-5 to play in Eugene.

Lowe, who is a 3-star ATH that is ranked as the 4th best player in the state of Oregon, recently de-committed from the Utah Utes and decided to open up his recruitment once again. It didn’t take long for him to find a new home and decide to stay in the state.

Lowe is ranked as the No. 55 athlete in the nation, No. 832 overall. He holds offers from some other big-name schools, including Notre Dame, Arizona State, Florida and USC.

What will be interesting to see is how the Ducks plan to use him in 2022 and beyond. Lowe has experience playing as both a receiver and in the secondary, but he was recruited primarily by Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham and wide receiver’s coach Junio Adams.

If the Ducks do end up sticking him on offense, it will be a huge help for the depth at the WR position. Regardless of where he lines up, though, it’s great for the Ducks to be keeping one of the best Oregon players in-state.

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Justius Lowe, 3-star ATH from Lake Oswego, de-commits from Utah Utes

Lake Oswego’s Justius Lowe, the No. 4 player in Oregon, has de-committed from Utah. Will we see Dan Lanning and Co. try to bring him to the Ducks?

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After the early signing period, the Utah Utes had what was considered one of the better recruiting classes in the Pac-12, ranked No. 3 in the conference. Unfortunately for the reigning Pac-12 champions, one of their higher-rated recruits has recently de-committed and will be opening up his options again going forward.

Justius Lowe, a 3-star ATH from Lake Oswego, Oregon, recently took a visit to Utah once the recruiting period opened back up and announced that he would be reconsidering just days later. This is an interesting player for the Oregon Ducks coaching staff to consider, not only because of his proximity to the school but also because he has been offered by the Ducks but was recruited by the previous coaching staff.

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Would Dan Lanning and his staff consider going after Lowe aggressively now that he is opening back up his recruitment?

Lowe is considered the No. 4 player in the state of Oregon, and the No. 55 ATH in the nation—No. 832 overall. He currently holds offers from some other big-name schools, including Notre Dame, Arizona State, Florida, and USC.

We’ve seen over the past week how aggressive Lanning’s staff can get when they set their sites on a recruit. Look no further than how close of contact they’ve kept with 4-star CB Jahlil Florence.

Could we see the same type of treatment for Oregon’s own Justius Lowe? It’s unclear how badly they want him, if at all, just yet. But if Lanning sets his sites on a player, you know they’ll go full force in trying to get him.

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Florida hopes to get this Utah WR commit in town for a visit

Billy Napier is looking to flip this receiver committed to Utah.

Three-star receiver Justius Lowe committed to the University of Utah just before the early signing period but he held off on signing right away, leaving the door open for other programs.

Florida is one of those programs and Billy Napier is the man most in contact with Lowe, according to 247Sports. It’s not lost on Lowe that most recruits don’t get such special attention from all the way across the country, and the effort Napier is making seems to be going a long way.

“Honestly the head coach, he’s been on me more than Coach KC,” Lowe said. “It means a lot. When a head coach reaches out to a guy, and he is reaching out to me personally is big. He was the first one to reach out to me from Florida. That really means a lot.”

Napier hasn’t offered Lowe yet, but he may be waiting for just the right moment to do so. Lowe said he plans on visiting Utah on Jan. 14 and then making the trip to Florida with his family. Distance isn’t his biggest concern, but the family wants him close to home.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 182-pounder’s hands are what interests the Gators the most. Florida needs to add some sure-handed depth to its recruiting class, and Napier seems to think Lowe has what it takes to play in the Southeastern Conference. That’s music to Lowe’s ears.

“That would be a big offer,” he said. “A lot of people see me as a Pac-12 guy, but Florida is an SEC school, so I think that would show people I am more than a Pac-12 caliber guy. I have heard a lot of great things about Florida. I think it’s a great program.”

Wherever he lands, Lowe’s plan to elevate his recruiting stock by holding off on the early signing period has worked. Napier seems to be on the right track to flip him, but those visits could change a lot.

On3 has Lowe rated as a four-star recruit and as the 30th best receiver in the nation, but Rivals and 247Sports think he’s a three-star.

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