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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