Oregon Ducks 5-Star Trey McNutt Addresses Injury, Broken Leg Timeline For Return

Suffering a broken leg during the Oregon Ducks fall camp, true freshman safety Trey McNutt gave fans an up close look at his recovery from injury in Oregon's fall camp documentary series titled 'Under Construction.'

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning watches from the sideline during the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. Ohio State won 41-21. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oregon Ducks' the second documentary series of fall camp brings college football fans behind the scenes of one of the nation's premiere programs, showing the gritty details of preparing for a season.

In the latest episode of the Oregon Ducks' fall camp docuseries "Under Construction," true freshman defensive back Trey McNutt allowed Oregon's video crew to document parts of his recovery from a broken leg injury he suffered during fall camp.

McNutt's injury stemmed from a practice period in the red zone.

Oregon inside linebacker Jeffrey Bassa, left, strips the ball from Oregon inside linebacker Brayden Platt as the Oregon Ducks practice ahead of the Rose Bowl Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Oregon wide receiver Justius Lowe carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks hit the practice field ahead of Michigan State Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Trey McNutt's reaction to his injury during fall camp

"He ain't catch it, so that's cool," McNutt said with a laugh. "I ended up on the ground. I hopped up after. It was crazy. I hopped up after on one leg."

"Lot of things were going through my head on the [injury] cart," McNutt added. "But trying to focus - not focus on the future - but just what we can control."

What does physical therapy under the Oregon Ducks look like?

In the eight-minute segment covering McNutt's recovery, Oregon's Athletic Medicine staff takes center stage, specifically athletic trainer Ni Wilson, who spoke to the level of care McNutt receives in order to get back on the field. During the video, Wilson helps McNutt work through a variety of physical therapy exercises, stretches, and blood flow restriction.

McNutt also shares that his physical therapy sessions happen every single day in order for him to return to play.

"I really do like our athletes," Wilson said. "I think they're really good kids. Obviously, we see them in kind of like their worst times but it's still nice to build relationships with them. So I think that's definitely a big part of the reason I want to keep showing up and being here is being an advocate for them, being a voice for them.

The Big Ten logo adorns the uniform of Oregon defensive back Rodrick Pleasant during the Ducks’ fall camp Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Brandy, Chief, and Ni, I work with them a lot and staff, you know, they're all just a great staff. Like, I've worked with all of them, you know, and they always make sure they do every little thing and make sure you're attacking [recovery] the right way," McNutt said.

"Ni has been great man," McNutt added. "She came to see me at the hospital when I was at the hospital. Our relationship has been building since this has happened. She's just a good person."

Oregon inside linebackers coach Brian Michalowski walks the field during the Ducks’ fall camp Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

A timeline of return for McNutt: "Sooner than later."

Ducks coach Dan Lanning did confirm shortly after McNutt's sustained injury that he hopes to see the young defensive back return to play later in the season, "sooner than later" to be exact. For now, McNutt continues to work on the road to recovery still ahead.

"You never want to see a player get injured," Lanning said. "Trey broke his leg - had surgery. He's going to be able to recover from that but Trey's handling that unbelievably. You always hate to see that happen but it is apart of football."

"The athletic trainers and everything - we're just all attacking it and keeping a positive mindset," McNutt said.

An Oregon football helmet is carried during practice with the Oregon Ducks Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024 at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene, Ore. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Texas native defensive back enters Oregon as a five-star recruit in the 2025 class by 247Sports and Rivals , considered a top safety in the nation.

McNutt led his home town school of Shaker Heights with 61 tackles as a junior and recorded 12 pass breakups, three tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. He also was a stand-out in track and field, giving the Ducks some speed in the backfield when he returns to play.