Oregon Ducks Tight End Kenyon Sadiq: Scary Breakout Candidate?

Pollack’s co-host, Brent Rollins, agreed with him as the pair named the player to watch for each Big Ten program.

“The dude’s a freak athlete. He’s a crazy 6-3, 250, runs like crazy,” Rollins said. “Just an insanely good athlete. Give it to him on jet sweeps.”

Sadiq made 14 appearances as a sophomore in 2024, recording 24 receptions for 308 yards. His two touchdown receptions last season came in the Big Ten Conference Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

During one of those touchdowns, Sadiq showcased the type of speed and athleticism Pollack and Rollins raved about. He went viral for hurdling over a defender to find the endzone.

The tight end’s numbers last season were already a big improvement on his freshman season, where he caught five passes for 24 yards and one touchdown. Especially with personnel changes and injuries, Sadiq’s role should once again grow in 2025.

“(Terrance) Ferguson was a really good player and a big part of the Oregon offense. He’s gone. Those reps have to go somewhere. Evan Stewart just gets banged up. That’s an important part,” Pollack said. “I think Sadiq is going to be a guy that takes over and goes absolutely bananas this year.”

Ferguson recorded over 40 receptions for Oregon in each of the last two seasons and had nearly 600 receiving yards in 2024. With Ferguson drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in April, Sadiq is left as the veteran of the room and has big shoes to fill.

“Those guys set the bar really high. (Ferguson) being the best tight end in Oregon history, one of the best to do it … The standard’s high,” Sadiq said during spring scrimmages. “Going in there and elevating the standard, too. Doing things that no other tight ends are doing in the country. The expectation’s there. I just got to go out there and live up to it.”

Many college football analysts believe that Sadiq has similar draft potential to his predecessor Ferguson, who went No. 46 overall in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Several mock drafts have Sadiq selected in the earlier rounds in 2026, while ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid were in agreement that the Duck will be a top-three tight end prospect.

It all hinges on Sadiq’s production this fall. With Oregon’s leading receiver Stewart to miss time with a torn patellar injury and Ferguson and former wideout Tez Johnson in the NFL, Sadiq should be one of, if not the top target, when the season kicks off against Montana State on Aug. 30.