Oregon Ducks Receive Positive Injury News For Key Receivers Before Playoff Game

The time has come for the No. 5 Oregon Ducks and No. 12 James Madison Dukes to square off in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and the injury statuses of Oregon wide receivers Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr., and Evan Stewart are still being monitored.

During ESPN's College GameDay, Pete Thamel reported that Moore and Bryant Jr. are expected to play, although the amount of snaps for each receiver has not been pre-determined.

The first update came on Friday evening as the Ducks downgraded Stewart from Questionable to Doubtful, making it seem unlikely that Stewart plays on Saturday. Stewart has not played for the Ducks since the regular season of 2024, and returning to action during the postseason is not ideal.

oregon ducks injury report evan stewart dakorien moore dan lanning gary bryant jr wide receivers cfp james madison dukes — Dec 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Evan Stewart (7) poses during Rose Bowl media day at Sheraton Grand LA. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Moore, Bryant Jr., and Stewart were all participating at Oregon's practice during the 15 minutes that were viewed by the media on Monday, but the Ducks have been rather secretive about the team's injuries. The most concrete update could come from Oregon's final availability report, released 90 minutes before kickoff, or fans might have to wait until the Ducks' starting offense takes the field.

Oregon coach Dan Lanning has also remained coy during the week, choosing not to get specific when asked about the Ducks' wide receiver injuries.

“Everybody's closer than they were yesterday,” Lanning said. “It's good seeing guys out there.”

The Ducks would welcome any of Moore, Bryant Jr., or Stewart back on the field against James Madison. Oregon's offense has adapted to their absences, relying on receiver Malik Benson and tight end Kenyon Sadiq. Meanwhile, the Ducks have also proved themselves as one of the best running teams in the country behind a dominant offensive line and deep running back room.

On the other side of the ball, freshman defensive back Trey McNutt missed the entire regular season after breaking his leg during fall camp. McNutt was Out on Oregon's availability reports throughout the season, but he was upgraded to Questionable before the CFP. Whether or not he makes his Ducks debut remains to be seen.

This article will be updated on Saturday in the lead up to kickoff.

Oregon Ducks Availability Report

Questionable

Dakorien Moore, wide receiver
Gary Bryant Jr., wide receiver
Sione Laulea, defensive back
Trey McNutt, defensive back

Doubtful

Evan Stewart, wide receiver

Out

Kyler Kasper, wide receiver
Justius Lowe, wide receiver
Solomon Davis, defensive back
Da'Juan Riggs, running back
Gernorris Wilson, offensive line

MORE: Oregon Ducks Lose Receiver To Transfer Portal Amid Injury Updates

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MORE: Oregon Ducks Intriguing Injury Report vs. James Madison

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James Madison Availability Report

Probable

Immanuel Bush, defensive lineman

Out

Jamal Olford, cornerback
Lee Johnson, linebacker
Brandon Fique, linebacker
Cam McNair, offensive lineman

Oregon's Playoff Odds

Per FanDuel Sportsbook, the Ducks are 20.5-point favorites over James Madison. If Oregon is able to win at home and advance to the CFP Semifinals, Lanning and company would face No. 4 Texas Tech in the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.

DraftKings Sportsbook released hypothetical odds for all of the potential semifinal games, and the Ducks opened as 1.5-point favorites over the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Oregon vs. James Madison will kickoff at 4:30 p.m. PT with the broadcast on TNT and TruTV.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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