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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
Oregon wide receiver Tez Johnson‘s shoulder injury is not season-ending, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Johnson exited No. 1 Oregon’s 38-17 win over Michigan in Ann Arbor on Saturday and did not return to the game. The fifth-year senior reappeared on the sidelines in the first half wearing street clothes and sporting a sling on his right arm. He finished with only one catch for 11 yards.
This season, Johnson leads all Oregon receivers with 649 yards and eight touchdowns. He is averaging over 10 yards per catch and has been quarterback Dillon Gabriel‘s top target as the Ducks’ offense has become one of the most productive in the nation. Through eight games, the unit ranks second in SP+.
“I hate it for him, because I love the competitor he is,” Gabriel said of Johnson after Saturday’s game. “He’s a guy who loves the game and is vocal about his passion. He loves the game of football. So it’s hard, and you hate it for him.”
Though Johnson is expected to return to action at some point this year, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning did not provide any details on the receiver’s injury after the game. Lanning will hold his weekly news conference Monday night.
Despite Johnson’s absence Saturday, the Ducks’ receivers did not miss a beat. Senior Traeshon Holden had the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with a team-high 149 yards on six catches.
Oregon’s offense boasts three pass catchers in addition to Johnson who have at least 350 receiving yards and average over 10 yards a catch in Holden, Texas A&M transfer Evan Stewart and tight end Terrance Ferguson.
The undefeated Ducks host Maryland (4-4) this weekend.