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On the offensive side of the ball, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is far from opposed to having young underclassmen contribute. As he often says, "if you're good enough, you're old enough."
Just last season, running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. were standouts in the backfield. Out wide, Dakorien Moore, the top-ranked wide receiver in the 2025 class, was the team's leading receiver before an injury caused him to miss the final month of the regular season.
The 2026 season brings a new crop of true freshman — with ESPN college football analysts Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill tabbing one wide receiver in particular as potentially cracking the receiver rotation and impacting the Ducks on the field very early in his career.
That player would be Jalen Lott, who finished as a five-star prospect, was the No. 3 receiver and No. 19 player overall in the 2026 class, per 247 Sports Composite. Standing 6-foot and 176 pounds, he doesn't appear to have the frame just yet to assume the No. 1 receiver role like Moore did last season, especially considering the talent around him at the position.
But that doesn't mean he still can't see the field and help Oregon win games this fall thanks to his standout traits and ability.
"Lott is similar to current Duck Evan Stewart in size and skill set," Haubert and Luginbill wrote. "Lott can run and make people miss in space. Oregon is feared offensively because of its personnel and the issues its tempo and wide formations create, and the Ducks return Dakorien Moore, Stewart and Jeremiah McClellan -- all at their best with the ball in their hands. Lott is likely to start in the slot and could produce as a return man given his open-field traits. He can stretch the field vertically, work crossers off play-action and turn bubble screens and quick passes into explosive plays. In an offense that spreads targets around and schemes free access throws, his suddenness and yards-after-catch ability give him a clear role right away."
Each of Moore, Stewart and McClellan will begin ahead of Lott on the receiver depth chart. Add in former five-star recruit Gatlin Bair, who arrives at Oregon after a two-year LDS mission, and potentially Iverson Hooks, who's coming off a 927-yard season for UAB before transferring to the Ducks. Fellow 2026 signee, four-star receiver Messiah Hampton, will also be given a shot at reps.
It's a tall task for Lott to receive a boatload of reps as a true freshman, as the Ducks' receiving room is shaping up to be one of the best in the country. But as Haubert and Luginbill outlined, he can still impact the team in different ways, potentially as a return man and as a gadget player using his speed out of the slot.
At Oregon, Lanning doesn't care if a player is a sixth-year senior or a young true freshman. If you can help the Ducks win, you'll be on the field and that's what Lott very well may do this coming fall.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: How ESPN claims freshman WR Jalen Lott will contribute in 2026
Continue reading...
Just last season, running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. were standouts in the backfield. Out wide, Dakorien Moore, the top-ranked wide receiver in the 2025 class, was the team's leading receiver before an injury caused him to miss the final month of the regular season.
The 2026 season brings a new crop of true freshman — with ESPN college football analysts Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill tabbing one wide receiver in particular as potentially cracking the receiver rotation and impacting the Ducks on the field very early in his career.
That player would be Jalen Lott, who finished as a five-star prospect, was the No. 3 receiver and No. 19 player overall in the 2026 class, per 247 Sports Composite. Standing 6-foot and 176 pounds, he doesn't appear to have the frame just yet to assume the No. 1 receiver role like Moore did last season, especially considering the talent around him at the position.
But that doesn't mean he still can't see the field and help Oregon win games this fall thanks to his standout traits and ability.
"Lott is similar to current Duck Evan Stewart in size and skill set," Haubert and Luginbill wrote. "Lott can run and make people miss in space. Oregon is feared offensively because of its personnel and the issues its tempo and wide formations create, and the Ducks return Dakorien Moore, Stewart and Jeremiah McClellan -- all at their best with the ball in their hands. Lott is likely to start in the slot and could produce as a return man given his open-field traits. He can stretch the field vertically, work crossers off play-action and turn bubble screens and quick passes into explosive plays. In an offense that spreads targets around and schemes free access throws, his suddenness and yards-after-catch ability give him a clear role right away."
Each of Moore, Stewart and McClellan will begin ahead of Lott on the receiver depth chart. Add in former five-star recruit Gatlin Bair, who arrives at Oregon after a two-year LDS mission, and potentially Iverson Hooks, who's coming off a 927-yard season for UAB before transferring to the Ducks. Fellow 2026 signee, four-star receiver Messiah Hampton, will also be given a shot at reps.
It's a tall task for Lott to receive a boatload of reps as a true freshman, as the Ducks' receiving room is shaping up to be one of the best in the country. But as Haubert and Luginbill outlined, he can still impact the team in different ways, potentially as a return man and as a gadget player using his speed out of the slot.
At Oregon, Lanning doesn't care if a player is a sixth-year senior or a young true freshman. If you can help the Ducks win, you'll be on the field and that's what Lott very well may do this coming fall.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: How ESPN claims freshman WR Jalen Lott will contribute in 2026
Continue reading...
