Oregon Ducks Receiver Gary Bryant Jr. Carried Off Field With Injury

The No. 9 Oregon Ducks are in need of a win at No. 20 Iowa with their College Football Playoff (CFP) hopes on the line and already one loss suffered this season. Their chances of a resume-boosting road win took a hit before the game with the injury to wide receiver Dakorien Moore.

Matters only got worse for Oregon at the position when Gary Bryant Jr. was carried off the field midway through the first quarter. Towards the end of the quarter, Bryant walked on his own into the locker room on the broadcast. The Ducks hold a 9-0 advantage due to a safety and a Dierre Hill Jr. rushing touchdown but will need to go next-man up to secure a victory,

Wide Receiver Room Banged Up

oregon ducks wide receiver dakorien moore gary bryant kenyon sadiq injury transfer portal malik benson dan lanning iowa — Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Moore entered the week as the team leader in catches and receiving yards this season, so his absence heading into the game was more than notable against a challenging opponent in the Hawkeyes.

Bryant posted four touchdowns and 277 yards in 24 receptions prior to the Iowa matchup. The receiver couldn’t put weight on his leg at all, getting carried off by Kade Caton. He ended up walked to the locker room later in the first half.

In addition to Moore and Bryant’s injuries, wide receiver Evan Stewart has missed the start of the season for Oregon and tight end Kenyon Sadiq is also out against the Hawkeyes, leaving the Ducks with little depth down the stretch of the season.

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Next Man Up

Transfer wide receiver Malik Benson is a possible name the Ducks may go to against the Hawkeyes as a source of offense.

Benson recorded 277 receiving yards this season and three touchdowns on 18 catches. The transfer’s been quieter in the recent games, however, with no touchdowns receptions since playing Indiana on Oct. 11 and only one reception for 21 yards in the last two games.

“It's tough when you have an opportunity for a one-on-one,” coach Dan Lanning said on Wednesday. “You want to be able to go win it, but they do a good job of finding pressure and having hands on, so it's a real challenge, but Malik's proven to be a guy that can take the top off. Gotta take advantage of it if we get the chance.”

“I think he’s a productive player. Some games are different than others,” Lanning continued. “You know, it's part of probably some of the games that we played in and what we played in, but he's been a really productive player here for a long time. I'm counting on him to continue to develop there.”

Wide receiver Justius Lowe entered the game after the Bryant injury. Lowe’s played in just two games this season ahead of the Iowa game, receiving three passes for 31 yards.

But Lowe had a standout season in 2024. He tallied 21 receptions for 203 yards and a touchdown in the Ducks’ 13-1 season.

A win against Iowa would bode well for the Ducks’ postseason chances. Three of their last four opponents on the schedule were ranked after the first CFP rankings. If Oregon wins out, it will make the CFP, but another loss makes its playoff hopes dicey.