Most Underrated Oregon Football Players for 2024

On a roster as talented and deep as Oregon Football’s, it’s easy for players to get lost in the shuffle.

There are any number of players for the Ducks this year who would be surefire starters at other schools, even those competing for a spot in this year’s playoffs.

Today I’ll highlight a few of Oregon Football’s most underrated and under-recognized players heading into year three of the Dan Lanning era and the Ducks’ first in the Big Ten Conference.

Blake Purchase – OLB, Sophomore

Blake Purchase came to Oregon via Cherry Creek High School in Englewood, CO where he was rated as the No. 31 EDGE in the On3 Industry Rankings for 2023. Purchase played all 14 of Oregon Football’s games as a true freshman, showing that he was as ready for action as anyone in the linebacker room.

This amounted to two TFLs and a sack as he primarily rotated in when more experienced linebackers needed a breather. While his statistical profile wasn’t anything special, countless other players on the Ducks’ defense got lost in the mix and failed to see significant playing time.

Entering 2024, Purchase will be in just his second season and figures to split time with Emar’rion Winston at the SAM linebacker position. This should give him ample opportunity to increase his statistical achievements and showcase the pass-rushing potential he demonstrated throughout his recruitment.

Nikko Reed – CB, Senior

Another player who fans are likely aware of but don’t realize the importance of is senior corner Nikko Reed. Reed transferred to Oregon after two seasons at Colorado and made an immediate impact, primarily at the Nickel corner position.

He played in all 14 of Oregon Football’s 2023-2024 games and recorded 25 tackles including two for loss and a sack. In coverage, Reed put up seven pass deflections and helped secure the Ducks against damage from dangerous slot receivers.

Entering 2024, Reed seems to have been supplanted by Duke transfer Brandon Johnson but I’d encourage fans not to forget him. There’s always a chance transfer players don’t fit their new systems or simply aren’t as good as expected.

If either of these were to be the case or Johnson missed time with injury, Reed would likely be vaulted back into the starting nickel spot in the middle of Oregon Football’s biggest season ever. Even as a second-line player, expect to hear plenty from Nikko Reed this fall.

Jeremiah McClellan – WR, Freshman

With the level Oregon Football is recruiting at in the Dan Lanning era, it’s easy to forget the depth of talent that’s being added to its skill positions. While redshirt freshman Jurrion Dickey is the highest-rated wide receiver recruit on the Ducks’ roster, true freshman Jeremiah McClellan isn’t far behind.

Rated as the No. 13 WR in the 2024 recruiting class, McClellan joins a crowded receiver room that doesn’t appear ripe for disruption on the surface. While Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart have the top two receiver spots locked up, who gets the reps behind them is open to interpretation.

Most expect senior Traeshon Holden and junior Gary Bryant Jr. to do most of the heavy lifting behind Johnson and Stewart but neither has definitively staked out their spot as a starter.

As Dan Lanning frequently says, ‘if you’re good enough, you’re old enough’. Every year thus far, Lanning & Co. have given substantial playing time to newcomers and young players who weren’t necessarily expected to make immediate contributions.

I wouldn’t be even slightly surprised if this were the case for McClellan this fall so stay tuned.

Keyon Ware-Hudson – DT, Senior

Keyon Ware-Hudson is a true veteran of the Oregon Football program, having been on the team since well before the end of the Mario Cristobal era. This makes him one of just a tiny number of players on the Ducks’ 2024 roster who wasn’t directly recruited/signed by Dan Lanning and his staff.

Despite this, Ware-Hudson is firmly in the mix for significant playing time in his senior season as he figures to back up transfers Jamaree Caldwell and Derrick Harmon at the defensive tackle spots. Ware-Hudson’s best statistical season at Oregon came in Lanning’s first where he compiled 3.5 TFLs and 0.5 sacks, bringing grit and high awareness to a defensive line that, at the time, badly needed it.

He now enters his sixth college season with more experience than 99% of linemen in the country, something Lanning’s staff has continually shown they value. While his statistics might not jump off the screen, you’d be remiss to overlook the importance Ware-Hudson has for this year’s Oregon defense.