Kenyon Sadiq hears the praise, but wants to prove it on the field

Many players on the Oregon Ducks roster are generating a ton of hype and buzz as we head deeper into spring football. Whether it's an offensive player like quarterback Dante Moore, or wide receiver Dakorien Moore, or a defensive transfer like Dillon Theineman, there's no shortage of player intrigue this offseason in Eugene.

One of the returning players on Oregon's roster, tight end Kenyon Sadiq, has seen his anticipation stock reach an all-time high after the end of last season.

It's been steadily rising over the past couple of years, starting in 2023 when he committed to the Ducks as the No. 79 player in the class. His offensive production was limited in his first season with the team, but a touchdown in the Fiesta Bowl win over Liberty was enough to hype fans up about his future. The 2024 season offered more opportunity, but sitting behind both Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert meant a limited target share, and more of a role as a gadget player on offense than anything.

Then the Big Ten Championship Game against the Penn State Nittany Lions came, and Sadiq's game-opening touchdown that saw him hurdle a defender , followed by a second touchdown just a drive later caused the bandwagon to fill up fast.

Now, everyone knows Sadiq's name, and is trying to wait patiently as his time finally comes in 2025.

It's been difficult, especially with Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein adding fuel to the fire by recently calling Sadiq "one of the best players in the country." Despite all of the hype, though, Sadiq knows that it doesn't mean a thing in the end.

"It’s kind of just words, you know?" Sadiq said on Saturday. "I mean, I’ve got to go out there and prove it. So, like I said, it means a lot coming from Stein. There's a high expectation that you have to come out every day and try to work up to.”

As the de facto veteran of a young TE room in Eugene, expectations are certainly high for Sadiq. After garnering just 35 touches over his first two seasons with the Ducks, the junior is now projected to be one of the biggest pieces of Oregon's offense. If all goes according to plan, there is a decent chance that he finds his way into an early round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

So yeah, while those are high expectations for a player who has seen about 90% of his production come in two games, they feel warranted. None of those things will come without the work, though.

“Just compete in every rep. It's easy just to get complacent," Sadiq said. "So, like I said, go out there and have the mindset I need to be the best, one of the best players in college football, one of the best tight ends. The coaches do a great job of being on me and holding me to a standard.”

What's encouraging for fans to envision, and for coaches to plan for, is that the best of Sadiq is yet to come. Earlier this year, Stein vowed to give him the ball more in the offense and let him go to work. On Saturday, TE coach Drew Mehringer added to that, claiming that the sky is the limit if he continues to work as he has.

"I don't know how many 247-pound, 22.5-plus-mile-an-hour people there are out there in the world," Mehringer said. "But more than that, I think he's a great kid. He's a physical blocker, on top of the fact that he runs fast and catches the ball and scores touchdowns. So I think that his best football is still to come."

All of those components add up to an elite player. For a school that hasn't had a tight end drafted to the NFL in 11 years — something that will change later this month with Terrance Ferguson — it's something to get excited about.

For Sadiq, excitement is secondary, though. Actually proving it on the field is what matters.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks TE Kenyon Sadiq looking to live up to expectations