Mario Cristobal rules out two Oregon receivers for season

While No. 3 ranked Oregon suffered a 38-7 loss to No. 23 Utah on Saturday night to end its five-game winning streak, the Ducks also lost a couple of key players. During his postgame press conference, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal announced that wide receivers Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd would miss the remainder of the season with injuries.

Both seniors, Johnson and Redd didn’t travel to Utah for Saturday’s game due to injuries, and Cristobal officially ruled them out for the rest of the year following the game.

“Johnny is not going to be able to continue the season. Neither is Jaylon Redd,” Cristobal said. “DJ Johnson we hope to have back as a tight end in another week or so. With Johnny and Jaylon, we’re not.”

Johnson – who suffered a right foot injury against Washington State on Nov. 13 – had made 25 receptions for 311 yards and a touchdown in 2021. Redd, who suffered an unspecified injury in practice in last week, finishes the season with 197 yards and two touchdowns on 13 catches.

With that wideout duo now sidelined, Cristobal will turn to guys such as freshmen Kris Hutson and Troy Franklin and sophomore Devon Williams to step up and lead the receiving core for the rest of the season.

“I thought Kris Hutson stepped up and made some plays, so did Devon,” Cristobal said. “They had played throughout the course of the year, so we had confidence in them going in there.”

Oregon, now 9-2 overall with a 6-2 mark in Pac-12 play, closes its regular season next Saturday at home against Oregon State.

Oregon Ducks lose key contributor against Utah

Alongside wide receivers Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd, Oregon suffered another injury to an important playmaker in Saturday’s game vs. Utah.

Verone McKinley III, a sophomore safety for Oregon, went to the locker room early in Saturday’s game, making the trip before the rest of the team followed at halftime. He had left the game after an apparent arm injury, though the severity — as well as his status for the remainder of the game against Utah — remained unclear. McKinley left the field holding his arm; trainers attended to his arm, and when he left the field for the locker room, the trainers left with him, holding his arm.

McKinley had three total tackles (one solo stop) and one pass breakup before his departure for the game – when Oregon was in trouble heading into the second half at Rice–Eccles Stadium down 28-0 to Utah.