Freshman Trey McNutt Turns Heads in Oregon Ducks Practice Before Playoff

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks are preparing to host No. 12 James Madison in the first round of the College Football Playoff at Autzen Stadium, and every practice has taken on extra significance as the Ducks enter the most critical stretch of the season.

Injured receivers Evan Stewart, Dakorien Moore, and Gary Bryant Jr. have grabbed headlines by returning to practice on Monday, but freshman safety Trey McNutt’s participation should not be overlooked.

trey mcnutt dan lanning oregon ducks injury college football playoff practice dakorien moore evan stewart gary bryant jr — Oregon Ducks freshman receiver dakorien moore | oregon Ducks on SI

More video of Oregon's receivers at practice under an ominous Eugene sky.@lilycrane23 #GoDucks https://t.co/pnCuJH0JKI pic.twitter.com/abVFK1knS2
— Oregon Ducks On SI (@OregonDucks_SI) December 15, 2025

The return of the 5-star McNutt to Oregon’s secondary would be an exciting boost. With the playoff looming, every healthy player matters, and McNutt’s progression could prove crucial in shoring up the Ducks’ defense against a James Madison offense that ranks 10th nationally in scoring (37.3.)

Trey McNutt Participates In Practice

The true freshman McNutt has not played all season after suffering a broken leg in August during Oregon's fall camp. Before his injury, the Ohio-native was one of several Oregon's freshmen who could make an immediate impact.

Now, four months later, McNutt was participating in practice ahead of the College Football Playoff. Notably, when McNutt was injured, Oregon coach Dan Lanning left the door open for him to return this season.

"You never want to see a player get injured," Lanning said. "Trey broke his leg and had surgery. He's going to be able to recover from that. It's something we think he'll be able to come back from this season sooner than later. But I don't want to put a timer on that. But Trey's handling that unbelievably. Kind of a freak deal. That being said, he's working his ass off to get back."

"He's staying engaged in the playbook. He's preparing himself. So he was having a really good fall camp. You always hate to see that happen, but it is part of football, and I think Trey's handled it really well," Lanning continued.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning leads his team onto the field as the Oregon Ducks host the Montana State Bobcats on Aug. 30, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 2-ranked safety from the 2025 recruiting class, McNutt has potential off the charts. He would join a secondary that is led by Purdue transfer Dillon Thieneman, with Aaron Flowers, Kingston Lopa and Peyton Woodyard showing major improvements.

Oregon's secondary has been a strength this season, finishing the Big Ten regular season ranked third in pass defense.

Iowa Hawkeyes wide receiver Reece Vander Zee (15) is stopped by Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) and Oregon Ducks defensive back Jadon Canady (22) Nov. 8, 2025 during a Big Ten Football game at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are five true freshmen that have appeared in every Oregon game this season: running back Jordon Davison, defensive back Brandon Finney Jr., defensive back Na’eem Offord, running back Dierre Hill Jr. and linebacker Nasir Wyatt. Perhaps McNutt could be the next true freshman to get into the action.

Inside Look Into McNutt's Injury Recovery

Oregon's docuseries "Under Construction" provided a great behind the scenes look into true McNutt's recovery from a broken leg injury. McNutt's injury stemmed from a practice period in the red zone.

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"He didn't catch it, so that's cool," McNutt said with a laugh. "I ended up on the ground. I hopped up after. It was crazy. I hopped up after on one leg."

"Lot of things were going through my head on the [injury] cart," McNutt added. "But trying to focus - not focus on the future - but just what we can control."

In the eight-minute segment covering McNutt's recovery, Oregon's Athletic Medicine staff takes the spotlight, specifically athletic trainer Ni Wilson. Wilson detailed McNutt's daily sessions and showed his work through a variety of physical therapy exercises, stretches, and blood flow restriction.

"Brandy, Chief, and Ni, I work with them a lot and staff, you know, they're all just a great staff. Like, I've worked with all of them, you know, and they always make sure they do every little thing and make sure you're attacking [recovery] the right way," McNutt said.

"Ni has been great man," McNutt added. "She came to see me at the hospital when I was at the hospital. Our relationship has been building since this has happened. She's just a good person."

McNutt led Shaker Heights High School with 61 tackles as a junior and recorded 12 pass breakups, three tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. The multi-sport athlete was a stand-out in track and field, giving the Ducks some speed in the backfield when he returns to play.