Tag: Oregon Ducks football

Bo Nix gives injury update ahead of Holiday Bowl vs. North Carolina

Bo Nix says his ankle is getting better every day as the Ducks prepare to face the Tar Heels in the Holiday Bowl.

It might be the most famous ankle injury in the history of the state of Oregon.

A collective gulp could be heard inside Autzen Stadium when Duck quarterback Bo Nix had to be helped off the field toward the end of the game against the Washington Huskies.

Nix made an heroic effort to come back into the game and he tried to lead the Ducks to a late victory, but the injury was just too much to overcome.

It was an issue the following week against Utah as the offensive game plan was tooled to Nix’s immobility. Although Oregon won the game 20-17, Nix wasn’t near 100 percent.

Now nearly a month later, Nix is still doing his best to get that ankle as healthy as possible. Oregon faces North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl Dec. 28. It’ll be 32 days in between games.

“It’s getting better,” Nix said when asked on Friday. “Trainers are still doing a really good job. I’m in there a lot for treatment. It’s doing a lot better than it was.”

The Ducks will need Nix to be somewhat close to what he was when he was close to being a Heisman candidate. Although the Tar Heels will be without some key personnel in the secondary due to transfers and opt-outs, the Ducks’ offense needs to be as dynamic as possible to come out victorious inside Petco Park in San Diego.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

[listicle id=35918]

Former Oregon RB/WR Seven McGee transfers to Jackson State

Oregon Ducks running back/wide receiver Seven McGee found a new home at Jackson State after about one week in the NCAA transfer portal.

After barely one week in the NCAA transfer portal, former Oregon Ducks running back/wide receiver Seven McGee has found a new home with the Jackson State Tigers, tweeting his commitment on Wednesday morning.

McGee hopped into the portal on December 5 after two seasons in Eugene, where he was used sparingly as an offensive weapon despite his speed and ability to play running back and line up out wide as a receiver.

The addition of transfer running backs Noah Whittington and Bucky Irving pushed McGee out of the backfield rotation, and Chase Cota soaked up a lot of snaps out wide alongside emerging stars Troy Franklin and Kris Hutson – keeping McGee on the sidelines for the majority of the 2022 campaign.

All told McGee saw action in 15 games with the Ducks, carrying the ball 17 times for 50 yards and a touchdown while hauling in 18 receptions for 151 yards in the air.

He’ll head to a Jackson State squad looking to rebuild in the post-Deion Sanders era after their Hall of Fame coach took a new job at Colorado.

Seven McGee’s Transfer Portal Profile

Where Marcus Mariota ranks among recent Heisman winners based on NFL success

USA TODAY ranked the last 25 Heisman winners according to what they accomplished in the NFL. Where does the Oregon legend land?

USC’s Caleb Williams just won the Heisman Trophy and since he’s just a sophomore, he could very well win it again in 2023.

But winning the Heisman doesn’t mean you’ll have a stellar NFL career. Oregon’s Marcus Mariota knows that all too well. It was thought the only Duck to ever win the prestigious award would go on and tear it up in the NFL.

Unfortunately, Mariota is on his third team in eight seasons and just left the Atlanta Falcons after the team has decided to go with rookie Desmond Ridder for the rest of the season.

But there have been many successful Heisman winners and some are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. USA TODAY writer took the task of ranking the last 25 Heisman winners according to their success on the next level.

Australian punter Luke Dunne commits to Oregon

Australian punter Luke Dunne has committed to play at Oregon and will be on full scholarship.

There weren’t many glaring weaknesses to the 2022 Oregon Ducks football team, but the punter position was one of them.

The Ducks hope they found the answer with Australian punter Luke Dunne, who just announced via Twitter that he would commit to Oregon on signing day.

There’s not a lot of information out there on Dunne, but he will be on a full scholarship for 2023.

Oregon used three different punters this past season; none of them really took control and let’s say it could have been better.

When punter Tom Snee announced before the season began that he would be leaving the program, it put the Ducks behind the 8-ball. Punters Adam Barry, Ross James and Alex Bales combined to punt the ball 25 times and averaged just over 39 yards a kick.

With the addition of Dunne, Oregon hopes that position has been stabilized for a while.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

How Oregon Ducks performed during NFL Week 14 action

Anthony Brown made his NFL debut and Justin Herbert dominated in another solid week of NFL action from Oregon Ducks at the next level.

The 14th week of the 2022 NFL season is in the books, and for the Oregon Ducks it represented the end of one quarterback’s journey and the start of another.

Marcus Mariota has officially been replaced as the starter for the Falcons after an up-and-down season in Atlanta.

However, Anthony Brown was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for Baltimore, and he made his NFL debut by completing 3-of-5 passes during Baltimore’s win over Pittsburgh.

The star of the week was Justin Herbert, who put together an outstanding performance against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday – a performance that set social media ablaze.

It was a fairly quiet week for Oregon alumni otherwise, although it was very fun to see offensive tackle Penei Sewell step out and catch a pass for a nine-yard gain in Detroit’s surprising win over Minnesota.

Here is a look at how every Oregon alumni performed in NFL Week 14 action:

Transfer Profile: 5 things to know about Ducks’ new LB Jestin Jacobs

The Ducks scored a talented linebacker from Iowa in Jestin Jacobs. Here’s what you need to know about Oregon’s newest addition.

It wasn’t a name that was speculated much about when the transfer portal opened up, but the Oregon Ducks are happy this guy decided to become a Duck.

Former Iowa linebacker Jestin Jacobs announced he was leaving the Hawkeyes program and four days later, he was committing to Oregon.

It’s good timing for the Ducks as the linebacker position might be a question going into the 2023 season. Justin Flowe is transferring out and there’s a good possibility Noah Sewell might declare for the NFL whether he plays in the Holiday Bowl or not.

Jeffrey Bassa and Keith Brown were set to be the only experienced linebackers on the roster for spring practice, but having Jacobs on board alleviates some of the worries the Oregon coaching staff might have when it comes to linebacker.

Here are five things Oregon Duck football fans might want to know about the newest Duck.

Oregon TE Moliki Matavao enters the transfer portal

Oregon loses tight end Moliki Matavao to the transfer portal, leaving three experienced tight ends for the Holiday Bowl.

Oregon’s tight end room got a bit crowded in 2022, but now it’s going to miss one piece as the Ducks prepare for North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl.

It’s being reported that sophomore tight end Moliki Matavao has entered the transfer portal and will continue his college career elsewhere.

At 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds, one would think that Matavao will be a coveted transfer for any Power 5 team who needs a big and versatile tight end.

Playing time doesn’t seem to be an issue for Matavao as he played in all 14 games last season and 11 this year. He was able to score a touchdown against Arizona and caught 10 passes for 134 yards.

Oregon will be down to Terrance Ferguson, Cam McCormick, and Patrick Herbert at that position for the bowl game in San Diego.

Moliki Matavao Transfer Portal Profile

Where Tosh Lupoi ranks among the highest paid assistant coaches in college football

Tosh Lupoi got a lot of money to come Oregon from the NFL ranks. Here’s where his salary ranks among the most expensive assistants in college football.

As they were looking for a new head football coach last winter following the departure of Mario Cristobal, Oregon knew that not only would it have pony up some good money for his replacement, but the Ducks would also have to invest in his assistants as well.

Athletic Director Rob Mullens hired Dan Lanning and in turn, Lanning was able to coax Tosh Lupoi away from the NFL, which required cash. In fact, it required enough cash to make Lupoi the highest-paid assistant in the Pac-12 conference.

Lupoi’s 2022 salary of $1.74 million was high enough to be among the Top 10 nationwide. While the proof has yet to be in the pudding — Lupoi has had just one season to work his magic — the Ducks are hoping that with a few more recruiting classes to bolster the defense, Oregon will have a defense other Pac-12 schools will be envious of, and ultimately fear.

Here’s how Lupoi’s 2022 salary compared to those also in the Top 10 highest-paid assistants around the country.

Former Iowa LB Jestin Jacobs commits to Oregon

Oregon bolstered its linebacking corps for 2023 with the transfer of Jestin Jacobs from Iowa.

With Justin Flowe leaving and the distinct possibility of Noah Sewell moving on to the NFL, the Oregon Ducks football team of 2023 could be a bit light on linebackers.

But the depth chart just gained one for next season as former Iowa Hawkeye Jestin Jacobs has announced he will be an Oregon Duck for his senior season.

Jacobs played in all 14 games last season and started eight. But he suffered a season-ending injury at Rutgers in Week 3. It was an undisclosed injury that did need surgery.

Iowa expected Jacobs to return to Iowa City for 2023 before he announced via Twitter on Dec. 6 that would be entering the portal. Just a few days later, he’s an Oregon Duck.

Jestin Jacobs’ Transfer Portal Profile

Social Media Buzz: Penei Sewell makes game-sealing catch for Lions

Twitter went wild when OT Penei Sewell made a game-sealing catch for a first down, giving the Lions a win on Sunday.

We all know the Sewells are talented on the football field, but now they’re just showing off.

Earlier this season, Oregon Ducks linebacker Noah Sewell scored his first touchdown at the fullback position. Now older brother Penei showed the world he has some soft hands.

At 6-foot-5 and 335 pounds, Sewell is one of the best offensive linemen in the NFL. But in the Lions’ 34-23 win over Minnesota, Detroit pulled out some trickeration and threw to Sewell on a crossing pattern for the first down to seal the win.

No one expected a pass to go to him, so naturally, a defender didn’t go with Sewell in the route. The dive past the first down marker was the frosting on a very big cake.

Here’s how the social media world reacted to the play on Sunday: