Terrance Ferguson could be key to special season for Oregon football

Fans and experts know that Oregon football is loaded heading into the 2024 season. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the country, a loaded backfield, elite receivers, a stingy defense, and good special teams, but one name that doesn't get talked about quite enough is Terrance Ferguson.

The senior tight end has had a solid career to this point, catching 91 passes for just under 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns in three years.

Ferguson is coming off a career season with the Ducks in which he caught 42 passes for 414 yards and six touchdowns. He has gotten better each season and many believe that he'll be a legitimate John Mackey Award candidate as one of the nation's top tight ends. And I tend to agree.

I'd even take it one step further and say that he could be the key to a College Football Playoff push as one of Dillon Gabriel's top targets and safety valves and a solid blocker in the run game.

If Oregon is going to live up to the hype this season, it'll need everyone to work together like a well-oiled machine and that includes Ferguson. He needs to have his best season yet.

Sure, Oregon has a really solid tight end room, but Ferguson leads the way and the offense is going to depend heavily on him to have another career year and complement guys like Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart in the passing game. He gives the Ducks' offense another dimension.

I'd venture to say that Ferguson is the X-factor for the Ducks this season and if he struggles to live up to expectations, the offense will take a major hit. He could be a major key to success.