Kenyon Sadiq Shares Emotional Family Story After Oregon's Peach Bowl Loss

After the Oregon Ducks' loss to the Indiana Hoosiers, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq revealed that his family recently put his grandmother into hospice care.
Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates scoring a touch down during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium.
Nov 22, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) celebrates scoring a touch down during the first half against the Southern California Trojans at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

ATLANTA - The No. 5 Oregon Ducks' season came to an abrupt end with a loss to the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Peach Bowl. After the game, Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq put the loss into perspective, revealing an emotional story about his grandmother.

What Kenyon Sadiq Said After The Loss

"Gosh. My grandma got diagnosed with breast cancer, and this was her last game she'd get to see me play. So it's kind of just emotional for me," Sadiq said while fighting back tears. "I love her to death, and obviously a game like that for the last game for her being able to see is tough."

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon sadiq emotional peach bowl loss indiana hoosiers breast cancer story dan lanning nfl  draft
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq (18) runs against Indiana Hoosiers linebacker Isaiah Jones (46)during the first quarter of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Sadiq revealed that his grandmother is in hospice care, so she wasn't in Atlanta to watch the game in person. Still, the Ducks tight end said that he was able to text her before the game.

"No, she couldn't make it. We had to put her on hospice, so she's at home," Sadiq said.

"I'm going to get back and see her, so it'll be good. But it sucks that that'll be her last game she gets to watch," Sadiq continued.

Oregon lost to Indiana 56-22 with the Hoosiers taking a 35-7 lead by halftime. Ducks quarterback Dante Moore threw a pick-six on the first play of the game (besides the opening kickoff), and Indiana never looked back.

"Obviously, D'Angelo Ponds made a great play, that first play of the game. In types of games like this, it's hard to come back from mistakes like that. A great team is going to capitalize on mistakes and keep driving the ball," Sadiq said.

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon sadiq emotional peach bowl loss indiana hoosiers breast cancer story dan lanning nfl  draft
Indiana Hoosiers defensive back D'Angelo Ponds (5) and Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) pose for photographs Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, after defeating the Oregon Ducks in the Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

MORE: What Dan Lanning Said After Oregon's Loss to Indiana

MORE: Instant Takeaways From Oregon's Playoff Loss to Indiana

MORE: Dante Moore NFL Outlook Comes Into Focus After Peach Bowl Loss

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Dan Lanning's Perspective After Indiana Loss

After the game, Oregon coach Dan Lanning shared his emotions as well as some thoughts on life outside of football.

"You hurt for those guys because the world is going to judge everybody in that room based on the result tonight. I'm going to judge those guys on the kind of fathers they become someday, the kind of husbands they become someday. But in this moment, you feel like a failure, right, for them, and they're not. They're not failures. These guys won a lot of damn ball games. They've had a lot of success. They've changed some people's lives, but right now, that moment is going to hurt,” Lanning said.

Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon sadiq emotional peach bowl loss indiana hoosiers breast cancer story dan lanning nfl  draft
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks off the field after the Ducks’ loss as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kenyon Sadiq's NFL Decision

Sadiq finished the Peach Bowl loss with five receptions for 29 yards in what could be his last game as an Oregon Duck. Like many of his teammates, he now has a decision to make regarding the 2026 NFL Draft.

When asked about his future, Sadiq was non-committal.

"Obviously, I'm not sure, but it does help when we have a bunch of guys already coming back. I know that, and there's definitely some unfinished business, if you want to say that," Sadiq said.

Sadiq has until Wednesday, Jan. 14, to announce his NFL Draft decision, along with other Ducks like quarterback Dante Moore, safety Dillon Thieneman, outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti, and more. Oregon center Iapani "Poncho" Laloulu and defensive lineman Bear Alexander have already announced that they are forgoing the NFL Draft and returning to school for the 2026 season.

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Charlie Viehl
CHARLIE VIEHL

Charlie Viehl is the deputy editor for the Oregon Ducks, Colorado Buffaloes, and USC Trojans on SI. He has written hundreds of articles for SI and has covered events like the Big Ten Championship and College Football Playoff Quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl. While pursuing a career in sports journalism, he is also a lifelong musician, holding a degree in Music and Philosophy from Boston College. A native of Pasadena, California, he covered sports across Los Angeles while at Loyola High School and edited the Gabelli Presidential Scholars Program’s magazine at BC. He is excited to bring his passion for storytelling and sports to fans of college athletics.