The Oregon Ducks were dealt a tough injury blow on Wednesday morning with news that starting running back Jordon Davison would miss some time going forward with an injury suffered in fall camp.
According to sources, Davison is expected to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, lasting through the remainder of training camp and into the season.
This is a tough loss for the Ducks, as Davison was the leading rusher on the team as a true freshman in 2025 with 667 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. He missed the final game of the year — the College Football Playoff semifinal against the Indiana Hoosiers — after suffering a broken collarbone in the Orange Bowl against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Davison rushed for 42 yards and two touchdowns in that game, despite
reportedly suffering the injury early in the game.
So now, with Davison sidelined for the next month or so, where will the Ducks go in the backfield, and who is expected to step up the most?
RB Dierre Hill
The most obvious next man up is Dierre Hill, who also had a standout freshman season in 2025 and was projected to be a critical piece of this offense as a sophomore. Hill had 656 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last year, plus 137 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown a year ago.
Going into this season, Hill has been working hard to become more of a three-down back, improving in pass protection and runs between the tackles. That was an area where Davison thrived, so while he is out with an injury, it will be important for Hill to show his improvements in that area.
RB Da’Jaun Riggs
One of the bigger names to watch this offseason has been Da’Jaun “Dink” Riggs, who had an intriguing freshman campaign in 2024 with 11 rushes for 82 yards and a touchdown, but missed a majority of the 2025 season with an injury.
Now that he is back healthy, there is hope that Riggs can return to his 2024 form and produce some big numbers in this offense. With Davison sidelined to start the year, he may have a great opportunity to get some early run and show what he can bring in Drew Mehringer’s system.
RB Simeon Price
The Ducks went into the transfer portal this offseason to get some depth and veteran experience. They emerged with former Colorado Buffaloes running back Simeon Price, a five-year vet with a lot of experience.
While Price has not produced a ton in his career, he should be able to handle a big workload, particularly near the goal line where we saw Davison thrive last year. Price has a big frame, standing at 6-foot, 215 pounds, and should help take a lot of the hits that Davison shouldered as a freshman.
RBs Tradarian Price, Brandon Smith
It’s a bit too early to know just how big of an impact either true freshman will have, but there has been some positive buzz regarding both players this offseason and in fall camp. If either can step up and take a handful of snaps throughout the game, that will help Oregon’s RB depth show up and tread water, at the very least, until Davison is able to return mid-season.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: What Jordon Davison's injury means for the Oregon Ducks going forward
