Jeremiah McClellan is still a relatively new face to the offense on Saturdays in Eugene. Although he's entering his third season with the Oregon Ducks , 2025 was the first time McClellan saw extensive time on the field.
The Ducks relied on McClellan more often as the season went on because of injuries to Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. , and he didn't let them down. McClellan rounded out his redshirt-freshman season with 38 catches for 557 yards and three touchdowns.
Albeit a modest stat line in Oregon's loaded offense, McClellan turned heads with his miraculous catches in the back half of the season, giving Ducks fans plenty of reason to be excited about what he can do for an encore. His commitment to making an impact this fall is clear. McClellan told the media on Thursday that he would rather drop dead than let the football touch the turf in Autzen Stadium.
That mentality will play well for the young receiver, but Oregon wide receivers coach Ross Douglas wants McClellan to become a more well-rounded player this spring. With added competition out wide for the Ducks this spring, including the return of Evan Stewart from injury, transfer Iverson Hooks and talented freshmen such as Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair, McClellan will need to do more than make one-handed catches to stand out amongst the crowd.
That starts, of course, with blocking. Dan Lanning's offenses under Will Stein were famous for the phrase, "no block, no rock," and that will continue under new offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer. McClellan's fiery personality lends to the mentality needed for blocking physical defensive backs in the Big Ten, but his 6-foot, 195-pound frame makes it a worthy challenge.
A challenge Douglas is ready to help his third-year wideout attack.
"I think his progress has been great, even since I came in last spring," Douglas said. "We went through spring ball, and I challenged him to do a couple of things. I challenged him to be more violent as a football player. I challenged him to be more dependable in critical situations. I think you saw that all year. I mean, just the big plays (McClellan) made for us on third and fourth down, two-minute drives, contested catches. So now we just gotta take it to the next level. Now it's just the competitive stamina, like doing it all the time, regardless of the circumstances or situation."
The Ducks appear ready to turn the former four-star wideout loose this season as a perimeter receiver for Dante Moore . With Stewart on the sidelines last season, McClellan became the go-to target for shots downfield against man coverage, but the Ducks didn't always run behind him.
Lanning has seen the lengths McClellan has gone to through the first three weeks of spring practices, both on the field and in the weight room, to become a more physical player. So far, the practice results have been positive, but the play on the field in the spring game and once the fall arrives will show just how high McClellan's ceiling can be this season.
"He's got unbelievable passion and energy, and sometimes that can be your greatest strength, and sometimes that can be your greatest weakness," Lanning said. "He knows that. He's self-aware of that ... He's made some outstanding catches in practice so far, but he's also blocked his tail off right when the moment, you know, provides that opportunity. So, I'm really impressed with his growth."
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: How Jeremiah McClellan can take next step in Oregon Ducks offense
