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When Oregon coach Dan Lanning chose Jamari Johnson to be one of three players representing the Ducks at Big Ten Football Media Days last month, no one was more surprised than the junior tight end.
But one season after backing up Kenyon Sadiq, who was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the NFL draft in April, expectations are soaring for Oregon’s future starter and the season he could have in 2026.
“It caught me off guard for sure,” Johnson said of his preseason trip to Chicago alongside a poair of established stars in quarterback Dante Moore and outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti. “It was a blessing and I know (Lanning) definitely picked me for a reason and I feel like that reason is because I was working my tail off in the summer.”
That’s exactly what the Ducks needed from Johnson, who flashed his immense talent last season when he had 35 receptions for 510 yards – the sixth-most single-season receiving yards all time by an Oregon tight end – and three touchdowns in a reserve role. That included nine catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the three College Football Playoff games.
With Sadiq off to the pros and a largely untested tight end room, the Ducks have big plans for the 6-5, 257-pounder who transferred to Oregon from Louisville in 2025.
“Jamari is a dynamite player that can line up as a wide out, he can line up in the backfield, he can line up at tight end,” Lanning said. “So, we know we have that.”
Johnson is the only tight end on the roster who has caught a pass at the collegiate level. The Ducks added two transfers this offseason in Andrew Olesh (6-5, 236), who was a redshirting freshman at Penn State in 2025, and Markus Dixon (6-4, 265), who played defensive end at Clemson last season. Oregon also has redshirt sophmore A.J. Pugliano (6-3, 250), a former four-star recruit from Medford who has yet to play for the Ducks, and five-star freshman Kendre Harrison (6-7, 243), an elite yet unproven prospect from North Carolina.
Until others show what they can do, the pressure will be on Johnson to shoulder the load for the Ducks. By all accounts, Johnson spent the offseason preparing himself for this moment.
“This year he’s taken prehab, rehab, everything, even the game of football, more serious,” Moore said. “I think he learned a lot from Kenyon. Kenyon used to get to the facility at 4:45 in the morning, you know, hot tub, stretching, and (Johnson) has done the same thing in just learning his routine. Not saying he has to play like Kenyon, because at the end of the day you’re yourself. But just picking up those habits, learning from the players that have done something in their lives that we want to do.”
Johnson agreed he learned much from Sadiq in their one season as teammates, witnessing first hand that it took more than physical gifts to become a first-round draft pick.
“Film and treatment, and those are two things off the field,” Johnson said. “He’s a dog, all around, but him off the field was just as good as him on the field.”
Much like Sadiq at this time in 2025, Johnson is projecting as a future first-round pick himself. NFLmockdraftdatabase.com has Johnson as the projected No. 17 overall pick on its consensus big board for the 2027 NFL Draft.
“I’m most excited to play football, man," Johnson said. "Whatever coach Lanning has me doing out there I’m going to do it.”
Oregon’s last two starting tight ends – Sadiq and Terrance Ferguson (now with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams) – had record-setting careers with the Ducks.
Ferguson is tied for the Oregon record for career receptions by a tight end (43) and owns the career touchdown receptions record (16).
Sadiq set the Oregon single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 51 in 2025.
Johnson knows he has big shoes to fill but said the strength of the offense this season will be its depth of talent.
“I’m super excited to watch our offense ball out this year,” he said. “We just got guys on top of dudes, it’s crazy. I’m really looking forward to this season. I really feel like we have an explosive offense, probably one of the best on the nation.”
The team is also driven, Johnson said, and still stinging from its season-ending Peach Bowl loss to Indiana in the CFP semifinals in January.
“That feeling after that last game last year, we don’t ever want to feel it again,” he said. “That’s why we come to every run, every lift session, every meeting just hungry and ready to work.”
Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at [email protected] and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 'Dynamite player' Jamari Johnson is Oregon's next star tight end
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But one season after backing up Kenyon Sadiq, who was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the NFL draft in April, expectations are soaring for Oregon’s future starter and the season he could have in 2026.
“It caught me off guard for sure,” Johnson said of his preseason trip to Chicago alongside a poair of established stars in quarterback Dante Moore and outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti. “It was a blessing and I know (Lanning) definitely picked me for a reason and I feel like that reason is because I was working my tail off in the summer.”
That’s exactly what the Ducks needed from Johnson, who flashed his immense talent last season when he had 35 receptions for 510 yards – the sixth-most single-season receiving yards all time by an Oregon tight end – and three touchdowns in a reserve role. That included nine catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the three College Football Playoff games.
With Sadiq off to the pros and a largely untested tight end room, the Ducks have big plans for the 6-5, 257-pounder who transferred to Oregon from Louisville in 2025.
“Jamari is a dynamite player that can line up as a wide out, he can line up in the backfield, he can line up at tight end,” Lanning said. “So, we know we have that.”
Johnson is the only tight end on the roster who has caught a pass at the collegiate level. The Ducks added two transfers this offseason in Andrew Olesh (6-5, 236), who was a redshirting freshman at Penn State in 2025, and Markus Dixon (6-4, 265), who played defensive end at Clemson last season. Oregon also has redshirt sophmore A.J. Pugliano (6-3, 250), a former four-star recruit from Medford who has yet to play for the Ducks, and five-star freshman Kendre Harrison (6-7, 243), an elite yet unproven prospect from North Carolina.
Until others show what they can do, the pressure will be on Johnson to shoulder the load for the Ducks. By all accounts, Johnson spent the offseason preparing himself for this moment.
“This year he’s taken prehab, rehab, everything, even the game of football, more serious,” Moore said. “I think he learned a lot from Kenyon. Kenyon used to get to the facility at 4:45 in the morning, you know, hot tub, stretching, and (Johnson) has done the same thing in just learning his routine. Not saying he has to play like Kenyon, because at the end of the day you’re yourself. But just picking up those habits, learning from the players that have done something in their lives that we want to do.”
Johnson agreed he learned much from Sadiq in their one season as teammates, witnessing first hand that it took more than physical gifts to become a first-round draft pick.
“Film and treatment, and those are two things off the field,” Johnson said. “He’s a dog, all around, but him off the field was just as good as him on the field.”
Much like Sadiq at this time in 2025, Johnson is projecting as a future first-round pick himself. NFLmockdraftdatabase.com has Johnson as the projected No. 17 overall pick on its consensus big board for the 2027 NFL Draft.
“I’m most excited to play football, man," Johnson said. "Whatever coach Lanning has me doing out there I’m going to do it.”
Oregon’s last two starting tight ends – Sadiq and Terrance Ferguson (now with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams) – had record-setting careers with the Ducks.
Ferguson is tied for the Oregon record for career receptions by a tight end (43) and owns the career touchdown receptions record (16).
Sadiq set the Oregon single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 51 in 2025.
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Johnson knows he has big shoes to fill but said the strength of the offense this season will be its depth of talent.
“I’m super excited to watch our offense ball out this year,” he said. “We just got guys on top of dudes, it’s crazy. I’m really looking forward to this season. I really feel like we have an explosive offense, probably one of the best on the nation.”
The team is also driven, Johnson said, and still stinging from its season-ending Peach Bowl loss to Indiana in the CFP semifinals in January.
“That feeling after that last game last year, we don’t ever want to feel it again,” he said. “That’s why we come to every run, every lift session, every meeting just hungry and ready to work.”
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Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at [email protected] and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 'Dynamite player' Jamari Johnson is Oregon's next star tight end
Continue reading...
