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Every season, it feels like the Oregon Ducks have become the premier program for developing tight ends.
From Terrance Ferguson to Kenyon Sadiq, and now to Jamari Johnson.
Johnson spent two seasons at Louisville in a limited role before transferring to Oregon, where he finished third on the team in receiving yards — just three behind Sadiq.
Now with Sadiq moving onto the NFL, Johnson is expected to lead the charge in the tight end room.
And coming into this season, the vibes are at an all-time high.
"I just feel good, man," Johnson said. "Last season, I came in not knowing too much about the playbook and stuff like that. But as I became more comfortable with it, things got easier and the game started slowing down for me."
Head coach Dan Lanning seemed to echo that sentiment.
“Last year I sat up here and talked about a tight end at Oregon, and how special he was in Kenyon Sadiq,” he said at Big Ten Media Days. “Jamari is also that special. He was a guy that we recruited out of high school. Actually, he’s a guy that used to play quarterback. He just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. He can run, he can block, he can catch.”
But there’s been a significant change to the Oregon offense after last season’s offensive coordinator Will Stein took on the head coaching job at Kentucky.
In turn, the Ducks promoted coach Drew Mehringer as the new OC, and the move was well received by Johnson.
“That was my guy,” he said. “Just seeing him come back with a bigger role, it makes me smile because I know he worked for it and he earned it. Coming back I know he got a great plan for us and he’s a smart guy. He has a great plan for us and I’m just ready to get after it.”
The confidence surrounding Johnson isn't coming solely from within the program. According to PFF, he enters the season as the highest-graded returning tight end in the Big Ten with a 78.1 grade.
With Sadiq now in the NFL, Johnson won't have to share the spotlight anymore. Based on what he showed last season, and the confidence Oregon has in him, he's positioned to become the Ducks' next standout tight end.
Continue reading...
From Terrance Ferguson to Kenyon Sadiq, and now to Jamari Johnson.
Johnson spent two seasons at Louisville in a limited role before transferring to Oregon, where he finished third on the team in receiving yards — just three behind Sadiq.
Now with Sadiq moving onto the NFL, Johnson is expected to lead the charge in the tight end room.
And coming into this season, the vibes are at an all-time high.
"I just feel good, man," Johnson said. "Last season, I came in not knowing too much about the playbook and stuff like that. But as I became more comfortable with it, things got easier and the game started slowing down for me."
Head coach Dan Lanning seemed to echo that sentiment.
“Last year I sat up here and talked about a tight end at Oregon, and how special he was in Kenyon Sadiq,” he said at Big Ten Media Days. “Jamari is also that special. He was a guy that we recruited out of high school. Actually, he’s a guy that used to play quarterback. He just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. He can run, he can block, he can catch.”
But there’s been a significant change to the Oregon offense after last season’s offensive coordinator Will Stein took on the head coaching job at Kentucky.
In turn, the Ducks promoted coach Drew Mehringer as the new OC, and the move was well received by Johnson.
“That was my guy,” he said. “Just seeing him come back with a bigger role, it makes me smile because I know he worked for it and he earned it. Coming back I know he got a great plan for us and he’s a smart guy. He has a great plan for us and I’m just ready to get after it.”
The confidence surrounding Johnson isn't coming solely from within the program. According to PFF, he enters the season as the highest-graded returning tight end in the Big Ten with a 78.1 grade.
With Sadiq now in the NFL, Johnson won't have to share the spotlight anymore. Based on what he showed last season, and the confidence Oregon has in him, he's positioned to become the Ducks' next standout tight end.
Continue reading...
