Terrance Ferguson is a rising star. But who else does Oregon football have at tight end?
Terrance Ferguson isn’t just coming off the best season of his collegiate career. He’s also back from his first significant injury.
By all accounts he’s put both in the past and is looking ahead to what is gearing up to be another impressive season for the Ducks’ top returning tight end.
“He’s picking up right where he left off,” tight ends coach Drew Mehringer said. “It’s exciting to see him back and he’s doing a really good job.”
The 6-foot-5, 255-pound junior caught 32 passes for 391 yards and five touchdowns last season. He was second on the team in TD catches and fourth in receptions and receiving yards.
He capped the season with a career-high five catches for a career-high 84 yards in the Holiday Bowl victory against North Carolina.
It was a significant leap in production from his freshman season in 2021 when he had 17 catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Ferguson has also been dependable for the Ducks, appearing in all 27 games the past two seasons. He'll enter 2023 having made at least one catch in 16 straight games.
“He has gone above and beyond in every way, both on the field and off the field,” fellow tight end Patrick Herbert said. “He conducts his business like a pro now, which is awesome to see. He puts the right things in his body, he takes care of his body, both mentally and physically. He’s really improved his game.”
Ferguson had his spring shut down early with an undisclosed injury and he did not play in the spring game. On the eve of fall camp last month, Ferguson said he was 100% and ready to attack preparations for the coming season.
“You step away from it for a little bit and it definitely makes you want to get back on the field faster and be able to play again,” said Ferguson, who added dealing with an injury that kept him off the field for an extended period of time was a new experience for him. “I’ve had some bumps and bruises obviously as it comes with football, but this was the first one.”
His absence did allow the Ducks to get a good look at their other tight ends, a position group that lost veteran experience when Cam McCormick (Miami) and Moliki Matavao (UCLA) transferred.
Ferguson’s 49 career catches are 15 more than what the other tight ends — transfer Casey Kelly, the veteran Herbert and freshman Kenyon Sadiq — have combined.
Oregon consistently played four tight ends last season with a more proven group. Whether that happens again this fall or the Ducks lean more on a player like Ferguson remains to be seen.
“We have three guys that have played, so we’ll see how that works out for us. … I’m not sure what we’re willing to say just yet,” Mehringer said. “I think we’re still learning our team and how the dynamics all fit together but I do think we’ve got some guys that can play and help us go win some games.”
Oregon's Patrick Herbert one to keep an eye on
The Sheldon High product came to Oregon in 2019 with high expectations but was beset by injuries and played in just one game his first three seasons.
Last season was the first Herbert played in every game and he finished with six catches for 95 yards and one touchdown while primarily being used as an H-back and as the Ducks’ fourth tight end option.
After a healthy offseason, there’s a sense the 6-5, 255-pound junior’s role in the offense can be expanded.
“This is Pat’s first full year that he’s been healthy,” Mehringer said. “So when you look back to last year, it’s hard to say what Pat was because he really didn’t have much development through college because he had been hurt. … Now you’re seeing his skill set blossom.”
Casey Kelly a newcomer to watch
The transfer from Ole Miss is Oregon’s most experienced tight end, having played in 35 games for the Rebels since 2019.
“I’m an all-around guy,” said Kelly when asked what he brings to his new team. “I can block, I can catch, I can run and my leadership on game days and off the field. I think I’m very stern on what I want as a player for our team.”
The 6-3, 245-pound junior, who is the nephew of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, is also looking for more opportunities than what he had at Ole Miss, where he totaled 28 receptions for 282 yards and three touchdowns.
“Casey is a super tough kid, physical player, smart player and he’s obviously played a lot of football,” Mehringer said. “He comes in with a lot of experience so the learning curve for a player like that is much smaller.”
Number to know
9 — That's how many combined catches the tight ends on the 2023 roster not named Ferguson had in 2022.
Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon Ducks tight ends led by return of Terrance Ferguson
