Jurrion Dickey is healthy, and feeling more confident than ever going into 2024
When 5-star wide receiver Jurrion Dickey announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks as the headlining member of the 2023 signing class, the hype train started to build rather quickly. He was the second-highest-rated wide receiver to ever sign with the Ducks, standing behind only Cameron Colvin, and there was a hope from fans that he could come in right away and contribute as a freshman.
Unfortunately, a knee injury during his senior season derailed that, but the months of rehab and a forced perspective from the sideline had a major role to play in both the player and person that Dickey sees himself as today.
“It opened my eyes up to football, just in general,” Dickey said on Thursday after practice. “It helped me out in understanding all of the basics that’s not just as a receiver, but as a football player, and as a student-athlete.”
And now, more than a year removed from the injury, Dickey is ready to get back on the field and show Oregon fans what they’ve been missing. The reviews from spring practice have been glowing, if you ask players and coaches about what No. 99 can do with the ball in his hands, but that final product we see on Saturday is nothing without the hard work put in behind the scenes, and the confidence it’s helped Dickey build.
“I feel like my journey from where I was at the Fiesta Bowl at the end of the year, like I’ve come a long way,” Dickey said. “I’m going to come here and ball. I feel better with myself, I feel more confident, I feel like I can go out there and shake and be more physical and fast.”
Carving out a role in Oregon’s offense is not going to be an easy task, as Dickey has to compete with the likes of Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden, Evan Stewart, Kyler Kasper, Gary Bryant, Terrance Ferguson, and several others for targets. However, that’s a challenge that the redshirt freshman is up for.
We’ve see what he can do on the field at the high school level, and we’ve heard tell of what he’s been doing in spring practices so far this year.
Now it’s time that we all see it with our own eyes, and Saturday’s spring game will present the perfect opportunity.
