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Jamari Johnson entering 2026 with ‘something to prove’ as Oregon’s TE1
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- Jamari Johnson entering 2026 with ‘something to prove’ as Oregon’s TE1
The Oregon Ducks continue to have an embarrassment of riches at tight end. From Terrance Ferguson to Kenyon Sadiq, and now to Jamari Johnson , the Ducks once again think they have the best hybrid receiver along the line of scrimmage in college football.
Although his confidence and energy are tremendous, Johnson might not agree with that title yet. The redshirt junior tight end had a minimal impact at Louisville before popping in the second half of the season for the Ducks. He finished with 32 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns for the Ducks, nearly matching Sadiq in yardage (560) with nearly 20 fewer receptions (51).
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Now, as the starter and the leader of a young position room , Johnson wants to make his mark in his second season at Oregon.
"I feel like I got something to prove," Johnson said in his first media availability after Oregon's second scrimmage of the spring. "You know, for me personally, I feel like I haven't really done anything in college football. So I feel like this year is that year for me to show everybody what I'm about."
Johnson might be underselling himself a bit. In the College Football Playoff, he turned into a security blanket for Dante Moore , making nine catches and scoring two touchdowns in the Ducks' three games against James Madison , Texas Tech and Indiana.
The Ducks welcomed Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh and true freshman Kendre Harrison to the tight end room this spring, as well as Markus Dixon, who transferred to Eugene in the offseason and is making the full-time switch back to tight end after playing defensive end at Clemson.
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After earning an All-Big Ten honorable mention last season, Johnson is the lone returning contributor at tight end for the Ducks. It's a role he's ready for, and one that Dan Lanning has seen first-hand this spring. Still, there is some pressure not only to coach the newest Ducks on the pond, but to replace the biggest one of all in Sadiq, who is expected to become a first-round pick in the NFL Draft in less than a week.
"Obviously, with Kenyon leaving, somebody has to step up and be a leader in the room," Johnson said. "Me being one of the older guys, it just happens to be me, and I just accepted that role. And I kind of like it, getting these young guys going, getting them in the playbook, and just getting them used to college football. So it's been fun."
There are plenty of mouths to feed in the Oregon offense, but Johnson's big frame and ability to get open and run through defenders could make him one of the most important targets for Moore. While many NFL scouts were watching Sadiq, some said that Johnson stood out as potentially the better overall player.
Johnson is expected to be on the NFL Draft radar this fall, but his focus remains in Eugene. Not only to help the Ducks win a national championship, but to perfect his craft and prove to himself that he's worthy of such lofty praise.
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"I wouldn't say I'm not ready for the NFL," Johnson said. "That's pretty much what I'm getting at. I have a lot of stuff to work on. Footwork and hand placement, blocking in the run game, and raw details getting to the right depth, just touching up everything I can. So when I get to the NFL, there's none of those problems, those little problems. It's just the big problems I have to fix."
Johnson turned down the NFL in the offseason to make his mark on college football. The Ducks have built a reputation for developing tight ends in recent years, which means the best days could still be ahead for the 6-foot-5 star. Johnson will get to turn loose next Saturday in the team's spring game, teasing what could be in store for the Ducks in the fall.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Jamari Johnson hopes to leave his mark in his second season at Oregon
