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Who steps up for Oregon in place of Tez Johnson?

This one hurts.

By Connor Muldowney

Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half against Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (14) at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
Oct 26, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson (15) catches a pass for a touchdown during the first half against Illinois Fighting Illini defensive back Xavier Scott (14) at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
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Tez Johnson was on pace to break the 1,000-yard mark for a second straight season in Eugene, but the Oregon football star went down early against Michigan after catching an 11-yard pass and never returned.

Replay showed him landing on his shoulder and the announcers speculated that it could be either a shoulder or collarbone injury and that meant worst-case scenario for the Ducks.

Johnson shared a concerning social media post shortly after the game with a broken heart emoji and the image of him laying on the ground after being tackled in Ann Arbor. It seemed like a foreshadowing of some bad news but nothing has been mentioned by Dan Lanning or the team yet in terms of a recovery timeline.

If it's not a serious injury, there's a chance he could be back by a potential playoff run, but that's on the more-than-hopeful side. Assuming he's out for the year, who steps up in his place?

Well, replacing 64 receptions for 649 yards and eight touchdowns won't be an easy task, but the Ducks do have depth at receiver, starting with Evan Stewart who should be the go-to target now that Johnson is sidelined for the forseeable future. He's second on the team with 31 receptions for 462 yards and four touchdowns and looks to be a trusty target for Dillon Gabriel. He likely slides into that WR1 role.

Alongside Stewart is Traeshon Holden who, outside of a hiccup against Ohio State, has been great this season. He, like Stewart, has 462 receiving yards to go along with 28 catches and three touchdowns. Those two will make up a nice 1-2 punch at wideout.

But we knew about them. Who's going to step up behind the usual suspects?

Obviously there are a couple of star tight ends in Terrance Ferguson and Kenyon Sadiq who will shoulder some of the load, but at receiver, you have to look at a guy like Justius Lowe. The second-year wideout from Portland stepped up in Johnson's absence on Saturday in Ann Arbor, catching six balls for 45 yards. Actually, over the past three games, Lowe has 10 receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. He has the look of a budding star and sure-handed No. 3 receiver.

So along with Ferguson and Sadiq stepping up, I can see Lowe sliding in seamlessly into that starting lineup and providing a spark at receiver in Johnson's absence.

Oregon has to hope that Tez Johnson can be back by the playoff and it's lucky to have some serious depth at the position already.

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