Oregon Ducks Injury Update: Tez Johnson, Marcus Harper, Gary Bryant Jr, Dave Iuli, Kyler Kasper

After the No. 1 Oregon Ducks turned off the noise in the “Big House” with a critical 38-17 win over the Michigan Wolverines, there’s only three more teams standing in the Ducks’ way to a Big Ten Championship and postseason run. With that being said, the second half of the season hasyielded a few key injuries, like senior wide receiver Tez Johnson, and senior right guard Marcus Harper II.

During Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s weekly press conference before Oregon’s game against the Maryland Terrapins at Autzen Stadium, Lanning joked about the urgency of the press asking about Johnson’s injury.

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning visits with players before a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

“That didn’t take long,” Lanning said. “I thought it might be number one.”

For updates on Johnson, check out our article here, but Lanning also commented on several other key athletes and when they might suit up again for the Ducks. Along with Johnson’s injury, Lanning also added more information on Harper II’s injury status, as the guard left the field after an injury in the third quarter at the “Big House.”

“As soon as they’re ready to go, we’ll have them out there,” Lanning said. “We’re going to put player safety first. Tez will be down certainly right now in the near future, but I do anticipate us getting Tez back here soon. Same with Marcus [Harper II] I think. Neither one of those injuries are as bad as they appeared on the field and I think we’ll have those guys back but I don’t know when that looks like right now but we’ll do what we always do: take care of the players and what’s in the best interest of them. And both those guys [are] fighting to get back as soon as we can have them.”

In Harper II’s place, sophomore Kawika Rogers stepped in for snaps at right guard. Last year, Rogers played in all 14 of Oregon’s games and saw 96 offensive snaps and 93 special teams’ snaps.

Oregon’s Tez Johnson pulls down a Dillon Gabriel ahead of Ohio State’s Denzel Burke on his way to a second quarter touchdown at Autzen Stadium Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“It’s decided every week for every position that’s on the field in practice each week,” Lanning said. “But certainly we’re going to continue to have competition but Kawika has proven that - to have that opportunity and that role for us. Throughout the season we’ll continue to assess it this week in practice.”

Of course, a big trend for Lanning and crew this entire season has been the “next man up” mentality. Seen throughout position groups, younger blood or backups are primed to take up a position if the starter is injured. Matayo Uiagalelei taking over Jordan Burch’s slot lined up further inside the defensive line is a great example from this season of priming the Ducks to cover potential weaknesses.

In the Ducks’ case, there’s a few injuries that have been persistent all year long. Kyler Kasper has been out for five games at this point with an undisclosed injury. Furthermore, 2023 regulars wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr, offensive lineman Dave Iuli, and cornerback Jahlil Florence have all faced rumors of returning to play, but have remained out of the season so far.

Nov 18, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Marcus Harper II (55) against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

For Kasper, Lanning’s comments did not trend towards a return this season.

“Yeah, I don’t know that he will. I don’t know that he will. And again, we’ll always put the player first. He’s trying his tail off to rehab his way back. He’s been doing such a great job for us this year - I’m really proud of his growth. If he’s able to, fantastic, but I’m not anticipating that necessarily happening,” Lanning said about Kasper.

However, for Florence, Bryant Jr., and Iuli, the story was a lot different.

“Yeah, I do,” Lanning said when asked if these three athletes would return.

We’ll see if Florence, Bryant Jr. or Iuli are in play for the Ducks when they face the Maryland Terrapins at home Saturday, November 9th at 4:30pm PST.

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