Dan Lanning reveals Caleb Chapman emerged during practice

Caleb Chapman took a gamble on himself this offseason, transferring away from Texas A&M – a school that he attended for four years – and committing to Oregon. According to Ducks head coach Dan Lanning, that gamble might have just paid off.

“I’ll tell you who kind of showed up as a newcomer is [Caleb] Chapman,” Lanning said. “He had a couple good deep ball, I think he’s got to continue to push his conditioning, but there’s a couple of good plays that stuck out.”

As a junior, Chapman played in six games with the Aggies, making two starts, and recorded 13 catches for 210 yards. In his Texas A&M career, he recorded 28 total catches for 413 total yards and three touchdowns.

Chapman, while improving every season, struggled to find a consistent role on the Aggies’ offense throughout his tenure and figured his talents would be better utilized elsewhere. Thanks to some previous connections, Oregon ended up being the perfect fit.

“We had a couple of guys on our staff that were really familiar with Caleb,” Lanning said. “They were there at Texas A&M. Got to see him day in and day out, and he’s got great size. Obviously, that experience. I know he’s been dinged up, but I think he’s excited to be healthy and go to work. And that’s shown up.”

Chapman is recovering from a torn ACL suffered early last season that cut his hot start short. Through three games last year, he led the Aggies with 14 catches for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

The former Aggie wideout’s claim to fame saw him play a pivotal role in Texas A&M’s victory over then-No. 4 Florida in 2020, too. Chapman would score on a 51-yard reception in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 38. Texas A&M would end up defeating the Gators 41-38, thanks in part to Chapman’s efforts.

With a healthy knee, Chapman could become a solid role player for Lanning and the Ducks in his final season of collegiate eligibility.