Tez Johnson injury update: Report reveals severity for Oregon star WR

The shoulder injury Oregon star wide receiver Tez Johnson suffered at Michigan over the weekend isn’t considered season-ending, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, who also reported Monday that Johnson isn’t expected to have surgery but is expected back later this season.

Johnson is tied for fifth nationally with 64 receptions this season. The senior, and former Troy transfer who joined the program ahead of last season, leads all Ducks receivers with 649 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns in 2024. Those marks currently rank fourth and tied for second, respectively, among all Big Ten players this year.

Johnson played only two offensive snaps in top-ranked Oregon’s 38-17 win over the Wolverines before he was sidelined for the rest of the day.

He clocked out with one catch for 11 yards. That went down as just the second time this season the Pinson, Alabama, native has finished a game with fewer than 66 receiving yards (he had three grabs for -1 receiving yard in a Week 2 win over Boise State).

Johnson has three 100-yard receiving games to his name this season, and he notably reeled in seven passes for 75 yards and a score in a thrilling 32-31 win over then-No. 2 Ohio State in Week 7.

In Johnson’s absence Saturday, Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel leaned on senior wideout Traeshon Holden and sophomore receiver Justius Lowe. Both caught six passes: Holden for a team-high 149 yards and Lowe for 45 yards. Junior Evan Stewart, the Duck’s second-leading receiver, scored Oregon’s only receiving touchdown of the game, albeit an incredibly controversial one.

Stewart transferred in from Texas A&M this past offseason and has 31 catches on the year with 462 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Holden also has 462 receiving yards so far this season, although he has three fewer receptions (28) and one fewer receiving touchdown (three) than Stewart.

Oregon tight end Terrance Ferguson is fourth on the team with 22 catches and 355 receiving yards.

Even without Johnson, Gabriel still has an arsenal of receiving weapons. But Johnson — who caught 86 balls for 1,182 yards and 10 scores last year with Bo Nix at quarterback — has been Gabriel’s favorite target in 2024. He also can change the game on special teams, as evidenced by his clutch punt return touchdown in a roller coaster win over Boise State in the second game of this seaosn.

Luckily for the Ducks, it sounds like they’ll get their WR1 back later this year.