It's a matchup advantage that the Ducks have rarely had, but they've fallen victim to repeatedly.
Oregon's made a living over the years with quick little receivers. Even going way back-- Lew Barnes, Cristin McLemore, Keenan Howry, Bralon Addison, Tez Johnson were all nimble and fast, 5-10 or smaller.
Yet in some big games, the Ducks have been walloped by opponents employing big receivers, long, rangy types that owned smaller defensive backs in the Red Zone. In the PAC-12 days Stanford used to always have a couple of them, tall trees who could body up in the fourth quarter.
Jeremiah Smith, 6-3, 223, remains a matchup nightmare at Ohio State. Though everyone has trouble with him he's been a Duck killer in two meetings, 16 total catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns.
Having a bigger guy at wideout helps in two ways. He's a weapon on the field, especially near the goal line where spaces are tight, and he helps the defense at practice. Iron sharpens iron, as they always say. Defending the guy with the long wingspan requires adjustments in timing and technique.
On the current roster the Ducks have one skyscraping wideout in Kyler Kasper, a 6-6, 212 junior from Chandler, Arizona. He's always been intriguing but injuries have held him back as far as cracking the lineup in a meaningful way.
So it's not surprising that one of the recruiting priorities for the Oregon staff in the 2026 class has been a big receiver. They've actively and aggressively pursued several, notably Ohio State commit Chris Henry, 6-6, 208, Syracuse commit Calvin Russell, 6-5, 200, and 2027 three-star prospect Charles Davis, 6-5, 205.
The latest target in this elusive and useful body type is Milan Parris, a 6-5.5, 205 wide receiver from Walsh Jesuit High School in Stow, Ohio who decommitted from Iowa State this week after a visit to Oklahoma with trips planned to Miami and Oregon.
Parris is a fast riser, the highest-ranked uncommitted wide receiver in the country in the 2026 class, the Cyclones' highest-ranked prospect before he decommitted. He and his agent quickly learned how to attack the market. Rivals ranks him as a Top 200 recruit at No. 189.
He's clocked a 4.43 40.
Iowa State WR commit Milan Parris:https://t.co/ntU3MyMeVg @alec_busse pic.twitter.com/5pO05wnDcN
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) April 13, 2025
While Oregon has made a living with dynamic, explosive types like Dakorien Moore, Gary Brant Jr. and Malik Benson, having a tall tree in the arsenal gives a team a unique way to test a defense. The Oregon offense has been one of the most potent in the country all during the Dan Lanning era, partly because of this relentless pursuit of depth and balance.