Oregon Football 2023 Transfers Update

It bears repeating that college football has evolved from the version we knew 10, 20, 30 years ago. This evolution is at its starkest where the transfer portal is concerned. Regardless of level or pedigree, all coaching staffs require sage usage of the transfer portal if they are going to find success on the field.

Today we shall highlight some recent additions to the 2023 Ducks.

Cornerback Nikko Reed

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Junior Nikko Reed (5-10, 185 lbs.) came to the Ducks as a part of the enormous portal exodus from Colorado. Reed committed to Colorado in 2021 as a 3* prospect from Oakland, CA. He fills in a position of need at cornerback, much as Christian Gonzalez did a year ago. He played 719 defensive snaps in 12 starts last year, had 42 tackles, and lead the Buffaloes in interceptions (2). He can also serve as a kick returner - last season he returned two punts for 15 yards, and tallied 430 return yards in 19 attempts. 100 of those yards came on this return:

Offensive Line Nishad Strother

Nishad Strother (6-3, 326 lbs.) is a transfer from the East Carolina Pirates. Originally from Havelock, North Carolina, Strother played four seasons for the Pirates, with 30 starts. The redshirt junior committed to Oregon in May and will be looking to supplant an offensive line room that was banged up in the spring. Strother will be a graduate transfer with two years remaining.

Tight End Casey Kelly

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Casey Kelly (6-3, 255 lbs.) is a redshirt senior out of Ole Miss. Kelly hails from Niagara Falls, NY, and lettered in three sports in high school. Interestingly, he played QB in high school, throwing for 2,155 yards and 20 TDs as a senior.

In 2022, Kelly played in 11 games and caught three passes for 17 yards. In a depleted Oregon TE room he is likely to see more action with the Ducks this coming season.

Tight End Kaden Ludwick

Kaden Ludwick (6-5, 230 lbs.) is another transfer from Colorado. He was recruited last season as a 3* linebacker from Happy Valley, OR. Ludwick did not play in any games in his freshman season and comes to the Ducks as a walk-on.

This is an interesting positional switch from a higher rated Oregon player - he was the #7 player in Oregon in the 2022 class - and it will be worth noting if the Ducks can develop what they see in Ludwick as a TE.

Wide Receiver Gary Bryant, Jr.

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Wide receiver was definitely a position of need for the 2023 Ducks. One of the puzzles pieces that Oregon added was 4* transfer Gary Bryant, Jr. (5-11, 180 lbs.). Bryant played his high school ball in Riverside, CA.

After Lincoln Riley’s influx of portal additions in 2022, Bryant found himself buried in the depth chart and opted to move on, having recorded no statistics in the season.

Bryant played in 15 games in his USC career, catching 51 passes for 630 yards and seven touchdowns. He also played as a return specialist, and returned 24 kickoffs for 623 yards, averaging 26 yards per return in the process.

Bryant has three years of college eligibility remaining.

Once again, Oregon appears to have done very well in using the transfer portal to address positions of need. If last season is any indication, a good majority of this season’s transfers will have a significant impact on the 2023 season.