Tez Johnson: 'Their energy has changed,' Oregon WR Ready to Face Buckeyes in Rose Bowl

Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson has been an integral part of the team’s offensive success in 2024. He leads Oregon in receptions (78), receiving yards (866) and receiving touchdowns (10) and hopes to help lead his squad to another victory over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Johnson spoke with the media on Monday ahead of the most highly-anticipated quarterfinal playoff game.

Below are some of his top quotes, as well as video from Oregon and Ohio State’s media day in Pasadena.

On biggest difference with Ohio State from first matchup, what he’s seen

Johnson: “Their energy has changed. They are playing with way more chip on their shoulder right now. They are a very talented defense that you want to — like for us we want to play an NFL defense. Everybody on that D-Line, linebacker corps and that secondary, they are going to the NFL. We look forward to playing them. Looking forward to seeing them again because it’s going to be a
matchup that I don’t think anybody has ever seen before.”

On biggest difference with Oregon

Johnson: ” Growth. The willingness to get better. Knowing the mistakes that we’ve had. We knew the exact place that we messed up on and now we know how to fix them. So we are going to execute on Wednesday.”

On what it means to be a part of the Rose Bowl

Johnson: “The Rose Bowl, personally I never would have thought I would be in the Rose Bowl. But what more could you ask for? You’re in the Rose Bowl. You’re playing for Oregon. You’re playing against one of the best teams in the entire country. Arguably going to be one of the greatest games that you’ve ever seen in college football ever. You can’t ask for better than this.”

On if there’s extra motivation that the team is still going to be No. 1

Johnson: ” It doesn’t matter. Like I said, nobody believed us — in us in the first place so why believe now?We don’t care. Underdogs, No. 1. It doesn’t matter. We go 1-0 each week.”

On what him so effective in the first game against Ohio State

Johnson: ” I mean, I think just execution of the plays that were called. Just trusting that Coach, whatever he calls, just go out and run it to the best of your ability, and when the ball is in there, go get it.”

On what he sees from Dante Moore

Johnson: “Heisman finalist next year, a hundred percent.”

On why he sees Moore as a Heisman Finalist

Johnson: ” It’s something you ain’t seen yet. That guy can throw a ball like no other. I ain’t never seen
nothing like it. He’s so ready. He’s so ready to play. And you can just tell. Like we can put the twos in at practice, and they go out there and look just like the ones. So you don’t have a fall-off. The standard that the first group has for the entire team, it’s a waterfall cycle. It goes from every — from the ones to twos to threes, like it’s a waterfall cycle. You don’t see a single fall-off because you see the freshmen that comes in and you see some talent that you ain’t never seen before. You’re like, whoa, and some guys that they went and got out of that portal is crazy, and you don’t even know where these people come
from. They’re just popping up. Some freshmen came in and you’re like, who you, you’re 6-7, where you coming from?”

On how he would describe the way Will Stein identifies matchups

Johnson: ” He’s a quarterback guy. He dials up the play. We run the routes. He knows exactly the leverage. He always talk about all the time like how he beat Teddy and how he played with Teddy and so he knows exactly where the ball should go. We take his plays that he draws up, it’s crazy. Like he is a guru when it comes to offenses. He knows exactly what ball is going to be open, like be right here and the ball hit you right here on the head. Things like that you don’t take for granted in a coach.