Rumors have been swirling this week about a potential injury that could derail Oregon football's defense against Ohio State on Saturday night.
There were rumors that star defender Jordan Burch had suffered an injury during practice that may have required him to be stretchered off the field. Social media had been on fire all week as the rumor continued to gain steam and Duck fans were ready to smash the panic button.
And the panic was fair. Burch is arguably the team's most important defender and top pass rusher and losing him would be detrimental to that side of the ball.
There was nothing confirmed or denied all week but there had been some message board talk that hinted at the Burch injury being exaggerated and the stretcher just being a precautionary move.
And then this was said by Scott Reed, a Ducks reporter for Rivals:
Here is what I will say that doesn't reveal who told me -- I personally expect Jordan Burch to play Saturday.
— ⚡⚡Scott Reed⚡⚡ (@DSAFootball) October 10, 2024
In a reply to an Oregon fan, Reed said that Oregon was keeping everything fairly tight-lipped and the fact that the "exaggerated" stretcher news was even leaked was met with some anger from the Ducks' coaching staff.
This is kind of the vibe I've been getting regarding Jordan Burch. It feels like he's going to play and that the injury was probably followed by major precautions and he's likely getting some rest.
I'm not going to say one player changes the complexion of the game unless it's Dillon Gabriel or Will Howard, but an absence of Burch would be felt big time by the Ducks.
This is certainly an important update but we'll see if he takes the field on Saturday night.