Oregon Spring Preview: Tight End Depth Takes a Hit Following Departures
Tight end was one of the more interesting positions to watch on Oregon's offense in 2022.
After years of the group being limited to blocking in a run-heavy offense under Mario Cristobal, the tight ends were utilized in a more creative and effective way by mixing in a balance of run and pass plays.
They caught jump balls in the end zone, short passes over the middle and were flushed out to the flats. Now the Ducks hope to continue that growth under Drew Mehringer, but his room looks quite a bit different.
Moliki Matavao decided to move south and stay in the Pac-12 by transferring to UCLA and Cam McCormick reunited with Mario Cristobal by going across the country to play for Miami. They each caught 10 passes last year and were reliable in-line blockers, something the Ducks will need to replace with both of them gone.
Oregon Ducks Tight Ends
Junior Terrance Ferguson leads the way for the tight ends. He was one of Bo Nix's favorite targets in the red zone and reeled in five touchdowns, which was second to only Troy Franklin (9). Ferguson's 32 catches in 2022 ranked fourth on the team and he's caught at least one pass in 16 straight games.
It's that consistency that has him on the verge of cracking the top-10 all-time for catches by an Oregon tight end.
He's taken his game to a new level each year over his two years in Eugene. After joining the Ducks at 6'5", 230 pounds in 2021, he's packed on 25 pounds and is the best blend of blocking and catching at his position.
Patrick Herbert played in all 13 games a year ago, which was a notable achievement seeing that he missed all of the previous two due to injury. While he was able to stay on the field he didn't exactly light up the stat sheet, recording just six catches for 95 yards and one touchdown.
He may not come with Ferguson's flash but he should have a big role in Will Stein's offense as a fifth-year junior and the most experienced tight end on the roster. More touches should lead to more production for the hometown hero.
Early enrollee freshman Kenyon Sadiq rounds out the scholarship tight ends. He'll be called upon in a big way after joining the Ducks in the 2023 recruiting class.
Sadiq shined as more of a pass-catching tight end during his high school career at Skyline Senior in Idaho. He's much smaller than the aforementioned Ferguson and Herbert at 6'3", 220 pounds, so the Ducks will need him to hit the weight room hard to put on some more weight with Wilson Love.
That said, he does bring a lot of athleticism and big-play ability to the room, something you can never have enough of. Sadiq needs to get adjusted to the college game, specifically the speed and the physicality that comes with blocking at the point of attack.
Overall the Ducks are pretty thin at tight end and would probably prefer to have at least four scholarship guys at the position going into the season. That's why I expect them to dip into the transfer portal again once it opens in May to build the depth they need to be a more complete offense.
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