The Oregon Ducks have built a real pipeline at tight end, and Jamari Johnson is now the latest player expected to keep that line moving.
Under Dan Lanning and even before he took over in 2022, Oregon has turned the position into an NFL factory. Terrance Ferguson, Juwan Johnson, Johnny Mundt and Kenyon Sadiq are all set to be in the league when the season begins on Sept.
- Johnson, who transferred in from Louisville, is trying to make sure he’s the next name in that group when the 2026 college football season ends.
He put together a strong first year in Eugene last season, finishing with 32 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns. With Sadiq now at the New York Jets, Johnson steps into the role of leader in the Ducks’ tight end room, and he’s embracing the responsibility that comes with it.
“As of right now, I play for those guys that have come before me. And it's just a standard.
Here, we call ourselves the glue. Just to keep everything together and uphold the standard no matter what's going on.
And I hold that weight on my shoulders with great pride. And I come here every day just thinking about that.”
That mindset has also changed how he handles the younger players around him. Johnson said he remembers being in their shoes, watching older guys and trying to learn the ropes, and now he’s trying to return the favor any way he can.
“It's been amazing, man, just pushing those guys. Because once I was there, you know, I was one of those guys looking up to the older guys.
And I'm just trying to be there for them if they need anything. Help with plays, anything off the field, to just be there for them and push them.”
One player Johnson singled out was Kendre, who he said has already flashed the kind of talent that turns heads.
“Kendre is a dog, man. In our room, we call him the alien.
He made this one catch in fall camp. I think it was the beginning, or it might have been spring.
One hand, crazy, crazy catch. But I'm excited for that, man.
I'm real excited for him. He came in just ready to work.
And when I leave or when I'm here, or whenever, to see him come. In a couple of years to play, I'm really excited for him.
He has a bright future.”
Johnson also pointed to the growth of the younger tight ends in the room, saying the early mistakes have given way to real progress.
“Yeah, they came a long way, man. When they first got here, I remember them messing up on some plays here and there.
And just to see that growth and to see them growing and getting after it on the field, man, I'm excited for them. And I'm excited to watch them play this season.”
For Johnson, the comfort has come from time in the system and the work he’s done behind the scenes with the coaching staff.
“Just comfortable. I just got comfortable with the playbook.
Coming in here every day, getting with Coach Mehringer, getting with Coach Jack, helped me a lot through my game. And even the young guys, just seeing things through different lenses, seeing things through their lenses has been really helpful.”
He said fall camp gave the Ducks plenty to feel good about, and the group is eager to finally get to Saturday’s opener against Boise State.
“Fall camp was amazing. Guys flying around.
We had a great fall camp. And to have this Saturday coming up and it being our first game, man, we're excited.
Excited to get after it.”
Johnson also said he’s been talking to the younger players about keeping their heads right once the lights come on.
“I told them this is what everybody dreamed of. Those nights where they were in their head, going to sleep, just thinking about this life that they wanted.
This Saturday, that's what it's going to be. Lights flashing, cameras on, everybody in the stands going crazy, and this is what they pray for.
So they just got to have their head on straight, don't get too low at the lows, don't get too high at the highs.”
He added that one young tight end has traits that remind him of himself.
“Sometimes he reminds me of myself, of how athletic he is and how determined. But once he gets a couple more live reps and game reps, that boy's going to be a problem for sure.”
Johnson is also building chemistry with Dante, saying the connection has already started to click.
“It's been great. Me and Dante have been connecting on and off the field. We went through a couple of throwing sessions before camp and stuff like that, so things are coming together perfectly.”
In Other News...
Autzen Is Facing A Threat Oregon Fans Never Wanted
Autzen Stadium has long been one of the more accessible places in major college football, where generations of Oregon fans could realistically make a game part of their fall routine. That feeling is getting harder to preserve. Home ticket prices have climbed sharply in recent years, with many games now opening above $100 and the biggest matchups climbing toward the kind of figure that used to sound unthinkable for a seat in Eugene.
For Ducks fans, the concern is bigger than a single expensive Saturday. The worry is that the people who helped build Autzens atmosphere, the longtime loyal crowd that made the place feel different, could slowly get pushed out by rising costs. Oregons success has made home dates more desirable, but it has also made them less reachable for the average fan, and that tradeoff is becoming impossible to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oregons Deep Backfield Could Become A Real Problem For Opponents
Oregons running back room is starting to look like one of the cleaner advantages on the roster as the Ducks turn toward the 2026 season. Sophomores Dierre Hill Jr. and Jordon Davison sit at the center of it, but they are hardly alone, with Da'Jaun Riggs, Simeon Price, Tradarian Ball and Brandon Smith all part of a group that gives the staff real options. For a program that has spent plenty of time building around speed and depth, this is the kind of position battle that can sharpen everyone involved before the games even begin.
Dan Lanning has already underscored how much depth and competition matter, especially after the challenges Oregon dealt with last season, and quarterback Dante Moore has echoed that same message from the offensive side. The bigger question now is not whether the Ducks have enough bodies at running back, but how much of that talent can translate into a problem for opponents when the rotation tightens and roles start to settle. [Read more 🡒]
Dante Moore Is Already Giving New Oregon Teammates Real Confidence
Even before the 2026 season gets rolling, Dante Moore is already becoming the kind of quarterback Oregon teammates trust quickly. Coming off a strong 2025 season, Moore has drawn praise for the accuracy and leadership that show up in the little things, the sort of qualities that matter most in a locker room full of new faces trying to settle in. Among them is transfer tight end Andrew Olesh, who arrived from Penn State and is working to build timing with Moore as he tries to carve out a role in Oregons offense.
Olesh enters a tight end group with an opening after the departure of the Ducks top player at the position, and that makes this early chemistry even more important. He is viewed as a potential contributor, but in a new setting, with a new quarterback, nothing is handed out. For Oregon, the encouraging part is that Moore seems to be giving teammates a real sense of stability already, which can go a long way for a pass catcher trying to find his place in the offense. [Read more 🡒]