Down the stretch of the 2025 season, Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson began separating himself as one of quarterback Dante Moore's top targets. The Louisville Cardinals transfer recorded 23 of his 32 catches from November on, including totaling eight catches for 149 yards and a touchdown in the Ducks' College Football Playoff Quarterfinal and Semifinal games.
He did that while competing for targets with eventual first-round tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who went 16th overall to the New York Jets. Entering the 2026 season, expectations were high for Johnson who was among the favorites to compete for the John Mackey Award, given to the best tight end in college football.
Johnson backed up the expectations in Week 1 against the Boise State Broncos,
catching four passes for 57 yards and a touchdown. He then suffered an injury that caused him to miss the Ducks' next two games before returning against the USC Trojans in Week 4.
And boy did he return in emphatic fashion, as Johnson set career-highs in both catches (seven) and receiving yards (119), getting open whenever backup quarterback Dylan Raiola — pressed into action after Moore was sidelined with a head injury — looked his way. When Oregon needed a crucial third down, you could count on the ball going Johnson's way with much success.
His performance, one that helped power the Ducks to a critical 41-27 victory to keep their CFP hopes alive, caught the eye of NFL draft evaluators, most notably ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.
"Obviously the Dante Moore injury was the biggest news out of Oregon's win against USC, but the Ducks did get tight end Jamari Johnson back from his own injury," Kiper wrote. :And that offense just looks different with him out there. Johnson caught seven passes for 119 yards. He also made a terrific one-handed catch that was called back due to a penalty.
"At 6-foot-5 and 255 pounds, his game features physicality and athleticism. He has the speed to be a constant threat down the middle of the field, and he displays the hands and catch radius to haul in anything. Go back to the 2025 tape, and you'll see the ability to make defenders miss after the catch, too. His blocking is a work in progress, but he could be a first-rounder as he battles with LSU's Trey'Dez Green for the TE1 title in the class."
The Ducks have been a hub of tight end talent in recent years, with Terrance Ferguson (2025 second-round pick) and Sadiq being high draft picks. Johnson, if he decides to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft, appears to be next in line with his draft stock rising coming off of his play in Los Angeles on Saturday night.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon TE Jamari Johnson pushing to be 1st-round pick after USC game
