Oregon has added transfers on offense, defense and special teams over the last week, infusing more experienced and proven talent at positions of need.
The Ducks landed commitments from former USC receiver Gary Bryant Jr., East Carolina offensive lineman Nishad Strother, Colorado cornerback Nikko Reed and Austin Peay punter Matt Rigney all since Saturday.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning can’t address those players specifically until they’ve enrolled at UO, but he sees improved competitive depth at their respective positions.
“We return a lot of production (at receiver) and we just added a lot of speed,” Lanning said at a meeting of the Oregon Club of Central Oregon Wednesday night. “The thing I get nervous about as a defensive guy is when you have to go against guys with speed and you’re sitting here saying, ‘That’s not a great matchup.’ Right now we’re going to be able to create some bad matchups for people because we have great speed in our wide receiver corps and guys that can catch the ball and be dynamic.”
Bryant, who was limited to three games for the Trojans last season, had 44 catches for 579 yards and seven touchdowns, 11 punt returns for 50 yards and 16 kickoff returns for 413 yards in 10 games in 2021.
He joins a room that added Traeshon Holden from Alabama and Tez Johnson from Troy in the winter and both of them made big plays after the catch during Oregon’s spring game. Combined with Troy Franklin and Kris Hutson, the Ducks have overhauled their two-deep at wide out compared to last season.
“I definitely think we’re stronger right now,” Lanning said. “We’ve had a couple of new additions that make us significantly faster, experienced.”
Strother, who started 30 games at ECU, is the third offensive line transfer addition this offseason, joining Ajani Cornelis and Junior Angilau. With Marcus Harper II and Steven Jones returning, there will be significant competition for the starting guard spots.
“May the best man win,” Lanning said. “I think if you’re a guy that believes in competing you (embrace that) and if you don’t you probably aren’t winning. So win.”
Harper missed the second half of spring due to an arm injury and Angilau, who missed last season at Texas due to injury, was limited all spring.
Lanning said they are both on track to be back for the start of fall camp.
“Marcus has played a lot of football here; we kind of know what he is,” Lanning said. “Junior’s played a lot of football as well. So we know what he is. I think more than anything (spring) probably gave us a chance to figure out who else can be developed in that room.”
Reed is the second addition at corner, joining Khyree Jackson. The Ducks have to replace an elite talent in Christian Gonzalez and were vulnerable behind him at corner last season.
Three corners transferred out this spring and the additions of Jackson and Reed to a group that returns Trikweze Bridges, Dontae Manning and Jahlil Florence and also adds five freshmen is resulting in another overhauled position group.
“It’s going to be hard to replace a guy like Christian Gonzalez obviously; that’s talent,” Lanning said. “But overall I feel really good. We have great length. We have speed. We have guys that track the ball well. So I think you’ve got a great variety and hopefully those guys are able to tap into what we think they can be.”
Rigney adds experience to a punting competition that will be one of the more significant battles before the season. Oregon was so poor punting last season that whether Rigney, who averaged 40.89 yards on 44 punts last season with eight inside the 20 and just two touchbacks, or freshman Luke Dunne wins the job the result will surely be an upgrade regardless.
“Until you know then you can continue to battle and make sure you find the one that fits,” Lanning said.
Oregon is projected to have 85 scholarship players in the fall — the limit. Lanning will never close the door on adding talent if the situation presents itself, but he’s not expecting more additions via the transfer portal this offseason.
“If there’s any opportunity for us to make our team better we’re going to make our team better,” he said. “But I don’t know that we’re going to see the opportunity to do that again. I don’t know; we’ll see.”
— James Crepea reported from Bend
