Oregon Spring Preview: Ducks Searching for New No. 2 Wide Receiver
2022 was a breath of fresh air for the Oregon Ducks offense.
Not only did the Ducks have a superstar quarterback in Bo Nix but they saw the reemergence of the deep pass and a breakout year from Troy Franklin.
Franklin may have the makings of a first-round NFL Draft pick. but there's far less certainty behind him. Add to that that five wide receivers either transferred or graduated and you're looking at a very different room.
Dont'e Thornton (Tennessee) and Seven McGee (Jackson State) both found new homes. Chase Cota graduated and both Isaah Crocker and Isaiah Brevard entered the transfer portal.
Let's take a look at where the wide receiver room stands heading into spring practice next week.
Franklin is the face of the group after leading the team in catches (61), receiving yards (891) and receiving touchdowns (9). The 6-foot-3, 178-pound wideout is technically sound and more than capable of taking the top off of defenses as a deep threat.
Fans are seeing what made him so promising as a top receiver prospect in the 2021 class and he could be a Biletnikoff finalist.
Kris Hutson returns from the 2022 season, when he was the team's starting slot receiver but he was less polished than Franklin. Hutson showed some good burst and was a crafty playmaker after the catch but he had some drops in big moments that ultimately capped his production.
His place in the starting lineup may not be as solid as some think with plenty of new talent being injected into the roster.
Traeshon Holden projects to be a main contributor for the Ducks after coming over from Alabama. He was productive against SEC defenses and brings some playmaking ability to a room that needed to add some experience after losing Chase Cota to graduation.
He's got the hype as a big-name transfer but we need to see him back it up when he competes against the Oregon defense and other wideouts.
Tez Johnson is the second of two portal additions for the Ducks at wide receiver. He comes over from Troy after solidifying himself as the team's leading wide receiver in 2022 with 56 catches for 863 yards and four touchdowns.
He's pretty slight of frame at 5'10", 150 pounds but he graded out well on a national scale according to PFF, coming in as the No. 2-ranked wide receiver in the FBS. Johnson has a special connection with Nix as his adopted brother and should be viewed as the main threat to Hutson in the slot.
Kyler Kasper is the redshirt freshman I'm the most excited about this year. He's got all the tools to be an imposing big-bodied wide receiver standing at a towering 6'6" and weighing around 200 pounds.
He's more comfortable with the college game after reclassifying from 2023 to 2022 and the game should be slowing down for him a bit more after getting a full season under his belt. There may not be a more athletic player at his position and it's time for Junior Adams and Will Stein to start tapping into his sky-high potential.
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Josh Delgado is a fifth-year redshirt junior that spent time at national powerhouses St. John Bosco and IMG Academy during his high school career. Despite being a highly-coveted recruit he's struggled to carve out a significant role with the Ducks.
His experience at Oregon could help him navigate the position battle but I'm not holding my breath seeing that he's already been in Eugene for so long.
Justius Lowe showed some flashes last year during spring practice but didn't see the field much. He had strong senior season at Lake Oswego and could be called on in 2023.
Ashton Cozart was a big addition to the group as one of two high school wide receivers. It looks like Jurrion Dickey is trending toward enrolling in the summer, so this could be a chance for Cozart to make a name for himself as someone who's already on campus and going through workouts.
He was a deep threat in high school and his skill set should be an asset for year one of Will Stein's offense.
Oregon's wide receivers certainly aren't hurting for talent in 2023, but they could be a little low on numbers. There's not much proven production behind Franklin and Hutson, at least not in a Duck uniform.
At least for the time being Junior Adams is relying on his additions in the transfer portal being instant impacts, Dickey being ready to contribute early and Kasper taking the next step in his development. All three seem probable, but it certainly wouldn't hurt the Ducks if they went back to the portal to add to the position.
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