Dan Lanning Evaluates ‘Deep’ Oregon Football Receiving Corps: 'Burst, Explosion’

Following the Oregon football spring game, coach Dan Lanning evaluates wide receivers Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart, Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant Jr. and Justius Lowe.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) and Tez Johnson (15) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon Ducks finished the 2023 season with the second-best passing and scoring offense in college football. However, coming into spring camp, there were questions about the 2024 passing game due to the departure of Troy Franklin. Simply put, how does Oregon coach Dan Lanning replace a wide receiver who caught 81 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns?

Fortunately, coach Lanning only had to look at his roster to find the solution. 

“We have some talented guys in that room, which is great,” Lanning said after the Oregon football spring game of Oregon's receiving corps. “We’ve got to continue to eliminate some of the MAs (missed assignments) that are gonna occur when you’re learning stuff. 

Lanning continued, “I see burst, I see explosion. I see guys that attack the ball when it’s in the air. It’s a deep group with a lot of guys who can help us.”

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) and Tez Johnson (15) / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Back to the roster. Enter Tez Johnson who, in his first year as a Duck, set an Oregon single-season record for receptions with 86 for 1,182 receiving yards – the third-most in UO single-season history—and 10 touchdowns. He was one of 11 players, including Franklin, that reached 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit TD catches. In addition, PFF rated Johnson as one of the best receivers in the country. His 89.9 grade this season trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among all FBS receivers.

The rich get richer when Oregon signed transfer receiver, Evan Stewart. The addition of the acrobatic Stewart adds more depth to Oregon’s already-impressive wide receiver room. Stewart joins returning players Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant Jr. and Justius Lowe, all vying for playing time.

"I want to show that I am a jack of all trades," said Stewart in Oregon’s final week of spring practices. "...I can go up and get it like a big receiver, I can move like a little receiver. I've got great hands, I'm very quick, very fast."

On paper, the Ducks’ passing game looks to be in great shape. That said there is work needed in order to improve and become the team coach Lanning believes they can be. 

“The DNA traits for us aren’t going to change, right?” Lanning said of his 2024 team. “It still has to be about connection, growth, toughness and sacrifice. But every team is unique and every team is different. And it’s about growing up together. This spring, I think our team grew up a ton. Going into spring I knew we had a talented team, but we had to become a team. And I think I saw a lot of that throughout this spring.”