Dan Lanning Updates Injuries Ahead of Oregon vs. Portland State

A couple of Ducks have missed significant time as the team heads into week 1 against the Portland State Vikings.

It sounds like Oregon expects junior offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson to be available when the Ducks kick off the season on Saturday. 

"Yeah I think so," head coach Dan Lanning said on Monday when asked about the availability of Powers-Johnson and Nishad Strother. "Nishad will be a question. JPJ was practicing with us today and is doing great." 

Powers-Johnson has been considered the frontrunner to become Oregon's starting center in 2023, but he missed extended time during the final week of fall camp. Now, he appears to be on track for a possible return against the Vikings.

Strother transferred from East Carolina and should help A'lique Terry shore up the interior of the offensive line. 

Offensive lineman Nishad Strother faces against the North Carolina Wolfpack in 2022 / © James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

He was seen in a sling at a team gathering over the weekend and his availability for Saturday remains up in the air. 

It's unclear where Strother stacks up in the offensive line pecking order, but he's almost surely going to be a part of Oregon's offensive line rotation this season, which offensive coordinator Will Stein believes can go eight-deep. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound lineman has been competing with the likes of Texas transfer Junior Angilau, Steven Jones and Marcus Harper II during fall camp.

Two other players that have missed some time of late come on defense in Iowa linebacker transfer Jestin Jacobs and sophomore defensive back Khamari Terrell. When asked about their availability, Lanning provided less detail.

"We should have our guys available," he said. "Right now we'll still wait and see what it looks like as we get closer. Have some guys that still have to get healthy."

Jacobs projects to be one of the Ducks' two starting inside linebackers alongside junior Jeffrey Bassa in 2023. Should he miss any time, fans will likely see some combination of Connor Soelle, Jamal Hill and Devon Jackson in his place. 

PREDICTION: Forecasting a 2024 running back to the Oregon Ducks