Oregon Ducks Perfect for Transfer Portal Star Duce Robinson From USC Trojans?

Former USC Trojans wide receiver Duce Robinson is in the transfer portal and could be a perfect fit for coach Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks. The elite athlete is a former five-star recruit who played tight end. With Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert in their final seasons, the Ducks have a transfer portal need at tight end.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Duce Robinson (2) runs the ball against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The NCAA Transfer Portal is open and unveils a Pandora's box of possibilities onto the college football world. One highly-sought after USC Trojans athlete may be the key to bolstering the Oregon Ducks’ tight end corps.

Currently listed as a wide receiver for the Trojans, 6’6 and 220 pound sophomore Duce Robinson has entered his name into the transfer portal along with 14 other USC Trojans players as coach Lincoln Riley will look to restructure his team for 2025.

Nov 16, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Duce Robinson (2) catches a pass against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the first half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Robinson is ranked as the No. 2 overall transfer and the No. 2 wide receiver transfer in the portal by 247Sports.

However, could Robinson be Oregon coach Dan Lanning's answer at tight end?

This season, Robinson was a starter in five games and played in 12. He caught 23 passes for 396 yards and five touchdowns. Robinson’s best game of the season came in November against Nebraska when he picked up four catches for 90 yards and a score in a 28-20 win.

Robinson is also a dual sport athlete, also playing for the Trojans baseball team in the spring season.

Robinson is a hot commodity in the transfer portal and was also a highly-recruited high school athlete. The five-star Robinson was recruited by Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Oregon, Washington, and Utah to name a few. 

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Robinson was the No. 1 tight end and No. 1 recruit out of Arizona for the class of 2023. At the time, Robinson was recruited by former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, who is now the head coach at Arizona State.

One thing many recruiters and recruiting experts noted was Robinson’s size leaning into the possibility of playing as a tight end.

“With broad shoulders and a frame to add another 15 to 20 pounds this prospect still has a good amount of growth potential in the weight and strength categories. Adding in the fact that he has over a 6-foot-10 inch wingspan and 10 inch. hand you have more than the prototype body to be elite at this position. The 35-inch arms that he has give him the advantage of a tremendous catch radius that is coupled with an impressive vertical to high-point the ball in traffic and on 50/50 balls along with having soft hands,” said 247 recruiting expert Chris Singletary about a high school aged Robinson.

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Duce Robinson (2) celebrates after scoring on an 8-yard touchdown reception against the Wisconsin Badgersin the second half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After the 2024 season, Oregon will be in desperate need for tight ends to add to their roster. Right now, Oregon is losing starter Terrance Ferguson due to expired eligibility and contributor Patrick Herbert for the same reason. Right now, the next-up tight end for the Ducks is Kenyon Sadiq, who produced two touchdowns during Oregon’s Big Ten Championship win against the Penn State Nittany Lions. However, with losing Herbert and Ferguson, another big body to line up on the outside of the trenches is needed, and that’s where Robinson could fit in.

Oregon is also no stranger to having their football athletes double-dip with baseball. See current senior linebacker Bryce Boettcher and former Oregon quarterback and current South Carolina quarterback Robby Ashford, who both split their time between football and baseball. It seems like a no-brainer for Oregon to offer Robinson a similar situation.

During his freshman year, Robinson finshed with two touchdowns and 351 yards off 16 receptions. Robinson was expected to be a heavy contributor to USC’s offense, especially with quarterback Jayden Maiava finding Robinson as a preferred target down the field. Now, Robinson is a free agent looking for a new home.

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