Oregon Ducks Top Receiver Tez Johnson Posts He's Back From Injury

Originally posted on Oregon Ducks on SI
By Bri Amaranthus | Last updated Nov 19, 2024 9:21 AM ET

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In an apparent injury update for Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson, Johnson posted that "he's back" with a photo of him dancing in Autzen Stadium, on his Instagram story on Tuesday morning.

Johnson suffered a shoulder injury in Oregon's win over Michigan on Nov. 2 and has been out since. The Ducks have a bye this weekend, giving quarterback Dillon Gabriel's top receiver another week to heal.

Tez Johnson instagram

On Nov. 4, Oregon coach addressed the severity of Johnson's injury, saying it was not as bad as initially feared. He added that Johnson was not expected to have surgery.

"(Tez Johnson) will be down in the near future but I do anticipate getting Tez back,” Lanning said.

Johnson's return would be massive for the Ducks, who host rival Washington on Nov. 30 in Autzen Stadium. It is senior night in Eugene and Johnson will be honored. After that, Oregon will play in the Big Ten Championship Game (barring any unlikely tiebreaking scenarios this weekend) on Dec. 7 in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana.

"This guy’s a winner, in every piece of that word—what it means to be a winner," Lanning said after beating Michigan. "Tez is that for us, and we always talk about opportunities, you know, the next mountain... He's a selfless player that plays with crazy passion and energy, and we certainly would’ve loved to have him out there tonight."

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Before leaving the game, Johnson caught one pass for 11 yards and electrified with a 21-yard punt return in the first quarter.

Gabriel's top-target, Johnson's 64 receptions are just 22 shy of breaking his own Oregon record of 86 from 2023. Johnson leads the Ducks with 649 receiving yards. Johnson's receiving yards still rank within the top-10 in the Big Ten, despite missing the majority of Oregon's game vs. Michigan, the Maryland game and the Wisconsin game.

"I mean, Tez is an amazing leader," Savage said after beating Michigan. "From the day I got in here, he established his role on this team as a leader and as a brother. He does a great job of carrying and calling guys up, not calling them out. I mean him, Traeshon, all those guys. Like Tez is a very important piece this Oregon football team. We love them, and we just hope that he gets back healthy."