New Concern For Oregon’s Running Back Room on Updated Injury Report

The Oregon Ducks and the Indiana Hoosiers are set to play on Friday, Jan. 9 in the Peach Bowl for a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship game. Here is Oregon's updated availability report.

Running back Noah Whittington was a late addition to the report and is questionable.

Oregon Ducks Dan Lanning Jay Harris Injury Update Availability Report Running Back Transfer Portal Peach Bowl Indiana — Oregon head coach Dan Lanning walks the field as the Oregon Ducks practice on Jan. 5, 2025, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon, ahead of the Peach Bowl. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Out

0 Daylen Austin, Defensive Back
0 Jordon Davison, Running Back
2 Kingston Lopa, Defensive Back
3 Kyler Kasper, Wide Receiver
3 Sione Laulea, Defensive Back
7 Evan Stewart, Wide Receiver
14 Justius Lowe, Wide Receiver
15 Solomon Davis, Defensive Back
20 Makhi Hughes, Running Back
21 Da'Jaun Riggs, Running Back
27 Jayden Limar, Running Back
78 Gernorris Wilson, Offensive Line

Questionable

6 Noah Whittington, Running Back

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Ducks Running Back Room Gets Thin

The Oregon running backs room this season was a deep as it has even been under coach Dan Lanning. Unfortunately for the Ducks, it's as thin as it has been all season heading into Friday night's game vs. Indiana. Some of this is due to injury and some due to the transfer portal.

Jordon Davison will be out with an injury while Jayden Limar is out after entering the portal. Jay Harris was set to enter the portal earlier this week, but he was seen practicing with the team during this. He was not on Wednesday's availability report, which signals there could be a chance he may play, especially with Davison being ruled out. A player is still able to play for their current team even if they are in the portal.

This season, Harris has rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. With Davison and Limar both out, he should get an opportunity for some run on the big stage of the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Oregon will likely rely on Noah Whittington and Dierre Hill Jr. to carry the load. The two have combined for 1,399 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season. If Whittington is out, that will throw another curveball to the offensive gameplan.

College Football Calendar

One thing that seemingly everyone in college football can agree on is that the sport needs to change their calendar. The transfer portal opening in the middle of the playoff and teams having to replace players leaving the program while chasing a national championship should not be happening.

Oregon is two wins away from the first national championship in program history, but have worry about which players on their current roster are going to still be on the team during this run. A big reason for this is the sport hasn't fully adjusted to having a 12-team playoff. This expanded playoff has resulted in the season dragging on into late January, weeks later than it did in previous years back in the days of the 4-team playoff.

There needs to be a change with when the portal opens or this issue will continue.