While injuries continue to plague the Oregon Ducks offense before the team hosts the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, reinforcements could be arriving soon in the shape of wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan.
Jeremiah McClellan Hints at Injury Return
On Friday, McClellan posted a picture onto his Instagram story, hinting that the receiver's return to the playing field is coming soon. When exactly he will be cleared to return to live action remains to be seen. Whenever the time comes, his return to the Oregon offense will be a welcomed addition, especially with the injury to fellow receiver Evan Stewart.
In the win over Boise State, McClellan caught six passes for 150 yards and a touchdown in what appeared to be the start of a breakout season for Oregon's third wide receiver alongside Stewart and Dakorien Moore. However, McClellan broke his foot during warm ups before Oregon faced Portland State in week and has been sidelined since.
Despite his promising social media activity, McClellan is still designated to be "Out" for the Nebraska game alongside a few Ducks like quarterback Dante Moore. However, if McClellan's return is in fact imminent, he should provide an immediate boost to the offense.
Biggest Questions for the Oregon Ducks Offense
In his absence, freshman receiver Messiah Hampton has stepped up and helped to fill the void left by McClellan's injury. However, the experience and sure-handedness of McClellan should help open up the field for other pass catchers like Dakorien Moore, Stewart, and tight end Jamari Johnson.
If Stewart and McClellan are indeed "Out" against Nebraska, who will step up alongside Johnson, Moore, and Hampton? Tight ends Andrew Olesh and Kendre Harrison have both filled in for Johnson after he missed multiple games with injury, and running backs Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. will likely be involved in the passing game.
The offensive line has been a focal point of Oregon's struggles on that side of the ball, and whether or not McClellan can help turn things around for the Ducks remains to be seen. In the loss to Oklahoma State, McClellan finished the game with one reception for 20 yards as Oregon has had trouble getting the ball into the hands of the team's best playmakers.
Still, the Ducks seem confident in the changes and tweaks made to the offense before facing Nebraska, evidenced by Dakorien Moore's comments to the media during the week:
“I would definitely say that there’s a lot of things that we’ve seen on film that we feel like we should change, a lot of things that we knew before the game that we feel like we should change. But the fact that we’re changing now just shows the growth that we’re finna attack moving forward," said Moore.
Oregon Ducks Full Availability Report
Out
Jeremiah McClellan, wide receiver
Dante Moore, quarterback
Aaron Flowers, defensive back
Simeon Price, running back
Brayden Platt, linebacker
Trent Ferguson, offensive lineman
Doubtful
Evan Stewart, wide receiver
Probable
Dave Iuli, offensive lineman
Oregon and Nebraska will kick off from Autzen Stadium at 8 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 17.
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