Trey McNutt Pulls Back the Curtain on Injury Return During Oregon Ducks Fall Camp

Back in April, Oregon Ducks football sophomore safety Trey McNutt stepped back onto the field for Oregon's spring game, making his return after a broken leg suffered during the 2025 fall camp.

Now, healed from that injury, McNutt has the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in a safety corps with headlining names like Minnesota transfer Koi Perich and returning junior Aaron Flowers, and he's got a lot to say about his return.

Oregon Fighting Ducks' Dierre Hill Jr., left, can’t quiet evade the touch from Combat Duck’s Aaron Flowers during the first half of the Spring Game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene April 25, 2026 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Trey McNutt Is Back In Action After Broken Leg

McNutt spoke to reporters on Friday after Oregon's ninth fall camp session, and the Cincinnati, Ohio, native's overall mood is eager when it comes to rejoining his teammates in game action for the 2026 season and positive despite the challenges he faced. That positivity from McNutt was documented in one of the Oregon video teams' 2025 "Under Construction" installments, which highlighted the Ducks' physical therapy staff.

"Right after I broke my leg, right after I broke it, I was down. But right away, I snapped back. I got God on my side. He got me out of it. You know, I was going through it, it was a long recovery but I was happy every single day," McNutt said.

The incoming sophomore also went into detail about his injury, which many knew since the "Under Construction" video released that the young athlete suffered during a practice accident in the red zone.

"I was making a play in the back of the endzone," McNutt said, describing his accident during the 2025 fall camp. "I dove for the ball and ran into another teammate and it broke. Like I said, it was a long recovery and I ended up coming back to practice later in the season when we was in playoffs, but you know, it was a long time."

Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton speaks during a press conference on March 14, 2026, in Eugene, Oregon. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Focusing On The Mental Aspect

Despite McNutt's multi-month rehab journey which placed him back in practices by the time Oregon's 2025 College Football Playoff came around, the once No. 2 ranked safety in the 2025 class continued to put his mind to the gridiron.

"He's staying engaged in the playbook. He's preparing himself. So he was having a really good fall camp. You always hate to see that happen, but it is part of football, and I think Trey's handled it really well," Lanning said about McNutt in December.

But there's the ever-pressing concern for an athlete to continue keeping up with the flow of his team, despite being sidelined. McNutt assured the media that he did just that while watching Oregon's second season in the Big Ten from afar.

"I would say, after the injury I was just focused on my mental, focused on mentally, you know, getting strong and learn the plays and learn the defense, schemes for offenses and stuff like that. Going into this year, just a lot of mental reps and now being able to put it to the field has been good," McNutt said.

"Last year got cut short but this year is definitely easier. Like I said, I got mental reps last year and being able to put it to the field and really get those true reps on the field has been good. I've been able to play faster and just really be able to put it to the field and make good tape," McNutt added.

"He's back healthy. He's doing everything. Trey's working extremely hard. You know he's battling with all the other guys, and we're excited about his growth," said Oregon defensive coordinator Hampton when asked about McNutt during fall camp.

Dec 26, 2025; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers defensive back Koi Perich (3) against the New Mexico Lobos during the Rate Bowl at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Road Ahead

McNutt enters the 2026 fall camp competing in a safety corps full of potential and stacked with talent. Flowers returns for his junior year after learning beside Chicago Bear safety Dillon Thieneman. Perich enters Oregon with plenty of hype behind him after a sophomore season ending in a Big Ten second team designation. Incoming junior veteran Peyton Woodyard also returns to the Ducks after playing in all 15 games in 2025.

It's likely McNutt will compete for a second-string position in the depth chart behind Perich and Flowers against freshmen Jett Washington, Devin Jackson, and Xavier Lherrisse.

Oregon's secondary closed out the Big Ten regular season ranked third in pass defense, but did struggle on exterior positions like corner when it came to penalities and pass coverage.

Time will tell if McNutt indeed does end up in the second rung of the depth chart to contribute to a group ready to make an impact this season.

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