EUGENE, Ore. — Later this week, Kenyon Sadiq will become the first Oregon tight end to be selected in the first round since 1975. A year ago, Terrance Ferguson left the program with many of the position’s records before becoming the highest drafted Duck tight end since Russ Francis was the 16th overall pick 50 years before. But according to Sadiq, the best might still be yet to come.
“He can do whatever he wants with his potential and wherever he wants to take it,” he said of Jamari Johnson, who will be stepping into Sadiq’s role as TE1 this fall. “If he wants to be the first tight end off the board, he’s gonna be the first tight end off the board next year.”
Oregon has fashioned itself as something of a “Tight End U” in recent years, with the 2026 class’ top player at the position, a promising second-year player in Ferguson, and other veterans who have stuck around the league like Juwan Johnson and Pharaoh Brown. When the Ducks’ receiver room was devastated by injuries midseason — leaving Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan as the only real options — it gave Johnson the chance to emerge when 12 personnel (two tight end sets) became their base offense over the second half…