Oregon Wide Receiver Depth Tested After Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. Injury News

The Oregon Ducks are still dealing with some notable injuries in the wide receiving corps headed into the Big Ten matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers with both Dakorien Moore and Gary Byrant Jr. reportedly missing the Friday-night game.

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks are expected to be without two of their top wide receivers in Friday's matchup against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Autzen Stadium.

Per reports from Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, Oregon wide receivers Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. are both set to miss their second straight game after sitting out due to injury in the 18-16 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes last week.

Moore and Bryant Jr. are both No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, on the team in catches this season. With both of them sidelined again, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore will have to look elsewhere for downfield production.

What Dakorien Moore, Gary Bryant Jr. Absence Means for Oregon Ducks

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Dakorien Moore warms up before the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Autzen Stadium. | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Moore and Bryant Jr.'s absence means increased reps for other wide receivers on the roster, which includes Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan. Benson had just two catches for 29 yards against Iowa but it was his 24-yard grab on a perfect pass from Dante Moore during the game-winning drive that helped set the Ducks up in field goal range a few plays later.

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Benson will likely slide in at the No. 1 wide receiver and could command some significant targets in the offense.

Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq would usually be in the mix as well, but he's dealing with an injury of his own headed into the Minnesota game. As a result, it's uncertain how much of a role he will play on Friday, if at all.

Dakorien Moore's Impact for Oregon Ducks is Significant

Oregon wide receiver Dakorien Moore warms up as the Oregon Ducks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 6, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

That said, it can't be overstated how significant the absence of both Moore and Bryant Jr. is for Oregon. Fortunately, the Ducks are expected to take care of business against Minnesota at home. Resting up against the Golden Gophers before a tough two-game stretch against the USC Trojans and Washington Huskies is probably for the best.

Even as a true freshman, Moore is Oregon's leading receiver headed into the 10th game of the regular season. Despite missing the win over Iowa, he still boasts team-high marks in catches (28) and receiving yards (443) while catching three touchdowns. He's also rushed four times for 49 yards and another score.

While the stats are impressive, Moore has showed that his impact is felt beyond his presence on the field. Oregon coach Dan Lanning said Tuesday that Moore was making it a point to stay involved with the offensive game plan against Iowa despite being sidelined.

“Obviously Dakorien wasn't playing, but every time I turned around, he was asking, what's the play call? He's cheering on his teammates. He's encouraging him to hold on to the ball,” Lanning said. “I'm seeing the same thing from Alex Harkey throughout the game. So just seeing those guys involved, they're there, and they could be spectators, but they didn't make that choice. They made the choice to be out there and coaching the guys on the field, which is awesome.”

Moore and Bryant Jr.'s next chance to take the field will be on Nov. 22 at home against USC.