Just a few weeks ahead of the 2021 season, second year tight end Patrick Herbert suffered a knee injury at a recent practice that will keep him out for a substantial amount of time.
Head coach Mario Cristobal spoke to the media and addressed the injury, expressing uncertainty regarding the timetable of Herbert’s return. He added that Herbert had been improving and becoming more confident all summer, and that it’s going to have to be a next man-up mentality now.
Fortunately for the Ducks, they have a plethora of tight ends to replace Herbert.
DJ Johnson took the starting position last year and is finally joining the team again after missing a chunk of training camp due to injury. Spencer Webb had been splitting first team offense time with Herbert all summer, and he has had a great training camp himself.
Terrance Ferguson and Moliki Matavao are two other names to watch, as both of the four-star freshmen have made significant strides in their short time in Eugene so far. Finally, Cam McCormick is another name to look out for coming off a gruesome injury that has kept him out of football for nearly three years.
Although Oregon has options, the news still comes as a massive blow.
Herbert, a third-year freshman, has played just one game in his Oregon career. He missed the entire 2020 season due to a knee injury as well.
A mid-season return isn’t out of the realm of possibility for the Eugene native.
For now, the tight end position still remains open ahead of Oregon’s first game on Sept. 4 against the Fresno State Bulldogs.