CLASS IMPACT: Gary Bryant Jr. Adds to Oregon's Loaded Wide Receiver Room
Dan Lanning and the Ducks stayed hot on the recruiting trail Saturday, landing a commitment from former USC wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr.
He's the twelfth transfer to pledge to Dan Lanning and the Ducks since the end of the 2022 season, joining names like Jordan Burch, Jestin Jacobs and Tysheem Johnson.
As always, we're breaking this commitment down from every angle.
Recruiting Impact
With Bryant in the fold the Ducks continue to show that they're major players for top talent both in the high school ranks and in the transfer portal.
Lanning hasn't been shy about attacking the portal and leveraging it to fill gaps on his roster. Christian Gonzalez and Bo Nix were the best additions last year, and Bryant projects to be involved in 2023.
Furthermore, Junior Adams continues to assert himself as an elite recruiter at Oregon. After signing Chase Cota in the portal last year, he inked All-Americans Jurrion Dickey and Ashton Cozart this cycle and added Traeshon Holden and Tez Johnson to the mix as well.
His ties up and down the West Coast and across the country continue to pay dividends and we see it again here with Bryant, who he recruited at Washington when he was coming out of high school in 2020.
It's hard to say whether or not Bryant's commitment will help generate more momentum in the transfer portal, but at the even of the day it's simple. Another big name will be suiting up in the green and yellow, which raises the floor and maybe even the ceiling of Will Stein's offense.
Evaluation
If you're looking for a player to compare Bryant to on the Oregon roster, Kris Hutson is probably your best bet. In 2022 Hutson measured in at 5'11", 172 pounds and Bryant was listed on the USC roster at 5'11", 180 pounds.
While Hutson has carved out his role at Oregon as a slot receiver, I don't think that's all the Ducks are getting with Bryant. His 51 catches for 630 yards and 7 touchdowns in 15 games with the Trojans aren't crazy production, but he definitely proved that he can bring value to an offense.
Bryant has great top end speed, as he routinely got behind defenses in 2021--the last time he saw consistent playing time before redshirting in 2022. I don't think his redshirting in 2022 was for a lack of skill, but rather being in the wrong place at the wrong time with two high-level transfers being added by a new head coach.
Oregon's newest addition also brings good hands, strong ball skills and a great ability to track and adjust to the ball in the air. He's a physical player can hang onto passes in traffic and battles for extra yards.
Bryant's ability as a kick returner also adds to his upside and where we might see him contribute at Oregon. He returned 24 kicks for 623 yards and averaged 26 yards per return while at USC.
Roster Outlook at Oregon
When Bryant committed to Oregon, you may have found yourself asking: do the Ducks need a wide receiver? In short, no they don't. But adding one could help them capitalize on their championship window.
The transfer portal is the easiest way to add instant-impact players and Dan Lanning adding Bryant shows that he's operating with a sense of urgency.
2023 is the year to make a run at the playoff, especially with Bo Nix returning to lead the offense. Adding Bryant to the mix not only adds to the competition in the receiver room, but it also gives Nix another weapon to work with and another player defensive coordinators have to plan for.
Franklin has the No. 1 receiver spot locked down, but most players don't transfer unless they get a good feeling they'll see the field. Speaking of Franklin, he'll likely be gone in 2024 and Bryant has three years of eligibility left, which makes him a part of the future in Eugene, not just the 2023 season as a one-year holdover.
Snaps won't be handed to him this year, as he'll have to battle Kris Hutson and Tez Johnson among other wide receivers, but the best teams in college football don't just welcome competition, they thrive in it.
I think that's exactly what the staff was going for with this addition.
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