Oregon Football Wide Receiver Named Top In College Football

Oregon Ducks wide receiver, Tez Johnson, continues to garner attention as one of college football's best. PFF recently named Johnson as one of the top 10 returning wide receivers for the 2024 season, coming in at number four.

Mark Lantz | May 13, 2024

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) celebrates scoring a / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

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Oregon Ducks wide receiver, Tez Johnson, continues to garner attention as one of college football's best. Pro Football Focus recently named Johnson as one of the top 10 returning wide receivers for the 2024 season, ranking him No. 4. This follows a very successful 2023 for the now Duck senior.

In 2023, he combined with former Duck quarterback (and Denver Broncos first-round draft pick), Bo Nix to put up some staggering numbers. Overall, the Ducks had the No. 2 ranked passing and scoring offense in the nation.

Individually, Johnson set an Oregon single season record for receptions with 86 in his first year with the Ducks. He recorded 1,182 receiving yards – the third-most in UO single-season history—with 10 touchdowns. He is one of 11 players in the nation, including former Duck Troy Franklin, that reached 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdown catches.

According to PFF, Johnson is already one of the best receivers in the country. His 89.9 grade this past season trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among all FBS receivers.

If those numbers are not enough to support the ranking, consider a deeper dive into his performance. Johnson was the best Power Five receiver with 727 yards after the catch and fifth with 278 yards after contact. He also achieved an open-target rate of 93.4 percent which places him in the 99th percentile of FBS receivers.

Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) celebrates scoring a / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

With a resume as strong as this, Johnson’s decision to return to Oregon for another year was a bit of a surprise. His focus is on improving on last year’s results.

“We just need to stay on course and believe in Coach [Dan] Lanning, which, he’s the greatest coach of all time, I feel like. He knows what buttons to push us to get a little bit more out of us to compete every day. We’ve got to trust the process,” Johnson said. “I feel like the playoffs, with them expanding, is going to put some teams in there that’s really good and going to really try to get to that next championship game. It’s going to be really good. You’re going to see some teams in there that’s going to shock the whole world. That’s going to be us next year.”

Now, Johnson looks to team up with transfer quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, to continue the tradition of a high-powered passing attack that may just surprise some of the teams in the Big Ten. Make no mistake though, Johnson is arguably one of the most dangerous pass catchers in all FBS and is on a mission to prove just that.

Published May 13, 2024|Modified May 13, 2024

MARK LANTZ

Mark Lantz brings a wealth of experience in sports broadcasting as well as detailed writing when covering all that is Oregon Ducks sports. Mark spent several years covering high school football, basketball and American Legion baseball. He was a play-by-play announcer and color commentator. He also started a network to broadcast high school basketball to small radio stations in Montana. Prior to his retirement in 2022, Mark spent over 10 years writing for a well-known wealth management firm. He wrote about stock market trends, investor behavior, economic and political developments, and retirement related matters, to name a few. His writing style is designed to give the reader insight into Oregon Ducks sports.