Our Oregon Ducks football program took off offensively. Vertical passing, dominant rushing, and enough weapons to score in a hurry. Dillon Gabriel has firmly found his footing in this offense over the past couple of weeks, with Tez Johnson, Terrance Ferguson, and Traeshon Holden leading the way so far. As the season progresses, you can only expect this group to continue developing & dominating the conference.
With the talent Oregon has recruited and developed, that can only be expected. This coaching staff is fantastic at extracting the most it can from its players. The real question is—who’s going to be the leader? Who’s going to take the reins and level-up in this offense as Gabriel’s number-one receiver? I pulled Mr. FishDuck from his fun at instant withdrawal betting sites as this receiver group is a hot topic for him as well.
Stewart has looked GREAT in the Oregon offense so far, just needs more targets – Photo via Steven Chan
My Pick: Evan Stewart
As much as Johnson and Ferguson might have gotten the bulk of targets so far, I still stand by my preseason prediction. Stewart’s talent is evident, and the more chemistry he builds with Gabriel, the better chance this team has to beat a team like Ohio State or Georgia. So far, the volume just hasn’t been there yet. Stewart’s catches are few and far between, and this offense needs to feature him more if they’re going to continue to stretch the field vertically.
To do this? I expect Tez Johnson to continue to hold onto his role as the go-to chain-mover, and Stewart to develop more into a vertical threat. While Johnson may finish with more receptions this year, I see Stewart leading this offense in receiving yards on his way to another high-pick position for the Ducks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Great for recruiting. Great for Dan Lanning. Better for my television set.
What do you think? Is Stewart on his way to being the best receiver on Oregon’s roster this season, or will that crown be passed down from Troy Franklin to someone else? How impactful is Oregon’s vertical passing game going to be this week against UCLA? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Steven Chan
Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.