Oregon heads to Los Angeles on Saturday with a key piece missing from its passing game.
The No. 20 Ducks (2-1) will face No.
12 USC (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) without wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, who broke his foot in pregame warmups before Oregon’s 84-0 win over Portland State last weekend at Autzen Stadium. Coach Dan Lanning said McClellan is expected to be “down for a little bit of time,” and his absence leaves a noticeable gap in a receiver group already dealing with injury concerns.
McClellan had become a major part of the offense, giving quarterback Dante Moore a reliable big-play target. He had 170 yards on seven catches, a 24.3 yards-per-reception average, and scored an eight-yard touchdown against Boise State. Last season, he was pushed into a bigger role after Evan Stewart went down with a torn right patellar tendon, and he answered with 38 catches for 557 yards and three touchdowns.
Now Stewart is back, and Oregon needs him to help absorb the loss.
Seven of Stewart’s team-high 15 receptions have gone for at least 15 yards, and three have gone for more than 25. He has used that speed to pile up a team-best 222 yards and two touchdowns, and USC cornerback Jontez Williams took notice when talking about Oregon’s pass-catchers: “Speed, great ability, catch point,” said USC cornerback Jontez Williams of the Ducks’ weapons, “all things like that.”
With McClellan sidelined, Stewart could be asked to stretch the field even more against a USC defense that just allowed Rutgers to throw for 292 yards.
Another name to watch is Dakorien Moore, who has already shown he can deliver explosive plays. He has scored touchdowns of 36, 45 and 63 yards and has found the end zone in all three Oregon games.
Moore has 192 receiving yards, and at 17.5 yards per catch, he trails only McClellan among Ducks receivers. He’s also averaging a little more than 3.5 catches per game, which suggests there is room for his role to grow even more in the opener against the Trojans.
Oregon’s depth has also been tested at tight end, with Jamari Johnson missing two games because of an undisclosed injury. Lanning said Johnson, who has 725 career yards and five touchdowns and has 57 yards and one touchdown in 2026, “should have availability.” Even so, the Ducks will need their wideouts to carry more of the load in Big Ten play.
That includes true freshman Messiah Hampton, who flashed in a big way against Portland State. Oregon had 15 different receivers catch a pass in that game, but Hampton led the group with six receptions for 71 yards, finishing just one yard behind Stewart for the team lead. In his third career game, he doubled his career catch total from three to six, and two of those grabs went for 7- and 17-yard touchdowns.
Saturday will be a different kind of test. It’s Hampton’s first matchup with a ranked opponent, and Oregon may need Stewart and Moore to help create the space that lets him keep building on that breakout performance.
In Other News...
USCs Upset Shot Vs Oregon May Hinge On One Injury Question
The injury reports are in ahead of Oregons conference game with USC, and both sides are dealing with absences that could shape how the night unfolds. The Ducks will be without Jeremiah McClellan, Trent Ferguson, Brayden Platt, and Simeon Price, thinning out depth in areas they would prefer to keep intact this late in the season.
USCs list is just as notable, with Jahkeem Stewart and Trent Mosley among the Trojans dealing with injuries and several others tagged questionable or probable. For a matchup that already carries upset intrigue, availability may end up mattering as much as scheme, and the Trojans chances of making this one interesting could come down to who is able to answer the bell when kickoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]
USC Heads Into Oregon Showdown With One Key Availability Twist
USC heads into Saturdays matchup with Oregon carrying a familiar kind of late-week uncertainty, as the latest Big Ten availability report lists several Trojans across the out, doubtful and questionable designations. The game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum carries plenty of weight on its own, and the Ducks will be watching the injury picture as closely as anything else before kickoff on NBC.
Lincoln Riley also offered an update on defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart, saying the freshman is making progress in his recovery but still does not have a definite return date. For Oregon, that leaves one more variable in a game where the Ducks already know theyll need to prepare for a Trojans defense that could look different depending on how the final availability calls break. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon's USC Game Could Put Andrew Olesh In A Huge Spotlight
With Kendre Harrison and Jamari Johnson both listed as questionable for Oregons matchup with USC, the Ducks may need to lean on a young tight end room in a game that already carries plenty of weight. Dan Lanning said he expects both to play, but the uncertainty keeps Andrew Olesh very much in the conversation, and the redshirt freshman has already shown he can handle real snaps with two starts this season.
Olesh has quietly turned himself into a credible next man up, with noticeable growth as both a pass blocker and a receiver. If the Ducks end up needing him in a bigger role against USC, it would be another meaningful step in his development and a chance to earn even more trust in one of Oregons biggest games of the season. [Read more 🡒]