Forgotten playmaker emerges as a leader in Oregon Ducks receiver room

At Corona Centennial in Corona, California, Gary Bryant's team set a school record with 59 straight wins in the Big VIII League.

They didn't lose a conference game from 2009 to 2021, the year after Bryant left to go to USC.

He was a big part of that streak, an Army All-American who caught 147 passes for 2,907 yards, the most in school history behind Javon McKinley.

"Smooth," Head coach Matt Logan told the Long Beach Press-Telegram. “Everything Gary does looks very effortless, whether it is running routes, catching the ball or maneuvering around after a catch. All of it is so smooth.”

Fast, too. Bryant ran the 40 in 4.46, the No. 7 wide receiver in the country when he came out in 2020, a four-star prospect rated No. 46 overall.

As a true freshman he played sparingly for the Trojans, but he ignited a comeback in the UCLA game, returning a kickoff 56 yards to set up the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

SC won 43-38 after trailing by 18 in a rivalry game classic. Kedon Slovis threw for five touchdowns.

Sophomore year the 5-11, 180 slot receiver busted out in a bigger role, tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with seven. He caught 44 passes for 579 yards, bolting for a 62-yard score in a 41-34 win over Arizona in the Coliseum.

Injuries slowed him after that. In 2022 he wound up redshirting, limited to just two games. That spring he entered the transfer portal. Junior Adams, then the wide receiver coach at Oregon, reached out.

His father Gary Bryant Sr. told Ryan Young of Rivals. "Junior was recruiting Gary out of high school and they always kept in contact -- that's why you don't ever burn bridges."

It turned out to be a bridge to a new opportunity. In 2023 Bryant Jr. emerged as a leader and playmaker for the Ducks, grabbing 30 passes off the bench for 442 yards and four more scores. He bolted for a 62-yard touchdown against Arizona State.

At Fiesta Bowl Liberty led 6-3 early in the second quarter before Bo Nix rolled right and found Bryant in the back of the end zone for a 10-6 lead. That ignited a rally, the Ducks winning 42-6.

A hip injury limited Bryant to five games last season. Still Adams called him "the glue" in the wide receiver room, a mature veteran with a degree in communications who set the example with his work and effort.

After practice Tuesday Dan Lanning said,

"Gary looks as good as he's looked since I've been here. And you know, Gary has always been a really talented player that we felt like could help us, right? And it's just a matter of his availability and being and being healthy. He's done a great job of attacking rehab this off season, even throughout last year, he's been a leader. "

If Duck fans heard that Oregon was looking to add a veteran receiver in the portal with 1,099 career yards and 12 touchdowns, a steady and dependable guy with sure hands who could return kicks and make big plays out of the slot, the message boards would go a little nuts.

Yet here's Bryant, nearly an afterthought. It's a season where the team has to find production and targets for a new quarterback. If he stays healthy, Bryant could be a candidate for the Paul Hornung Award, a versatile player who handles the football cleanly and makes momentum shifting plays in the open field, receiving or returning kicks.

Read More: