Oregon Ducks wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan is out indefinitely after suffering a broken foot, coach Dan Lanning announced Monday.
The injury occurred during pregame warmups before Friday’s 84-0 victory over Portland State at Autzen Stadium. McClellan had gone through warmups in full uniform but later appeared on the sideline in street clothes, wearing a walking boot and using crutches.
“Kind of a weird deal,” Lanning said. “Fortunately, he’s a tough guy, and certainly somebody that we relied on and will rely on in the future. So, it’s just a matter of when we can be able to get him back.”
After the Portland State game, Lanning had described the issue more cautiously.
“Got tweaked in pregame, have to get an evaluation to see what exactly that looks like,” he said. “I don’t know right at this moment.”
The junior from St. Louis led the No. 20 Ducks in receiving through two games with seven catches for 170 yards and one touchdown. Most of that production came in the season opener, when he hauled in six passes for 150 yards and a score against Boise State. He added one catch for 20 yards in a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State.
McClellan broke out as a sophomore in 2025, finishing with 38 receptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns across 15 games. He contributed 13 catches for 160 yards in three College Football Playoff games against James Madison, Texas Tech and Indiana.
The absence removes a key target for quarterback Dante Moore as Oregon opens Big Ten play Saturday at No. 12 USC. The Ducks are 2-1 after rebounding from the Oklahoma State upset with the record-setting home blowout of Portland State.
Oregon already is managing other injuries. Tight end Jamari Johnson missed the Portland State game with an undisclosed issue but is expected to play against the Trojans, Lanning said. Offensive lineman Trent Ferguson is out for the season after a knee injury announced two weeks earlier.
The Ducks retain depth at receiver. Fifth-year senior Evan Stewart, sophomore Dakorien Moore and freshman Messiah Hampton are among the options who can absorb McClellan’s targets. Hampton recorded six catches for 71 yards and two touchdowns in the Portland State rout after McClellan was scratched.
Typical recovery for a broken foot can take six to eight weeks or longer, depending on the location and severity of the fracture, before a player can cut and accelerate at full speed. Lanning offered no specific timetable.
Oregon faces a demanding stretch after USC. A bye week follows the trip to the Coliseum, then home games against UCLA and Nebraska. Both of those opponents entered the week undefeated.
McClellan, listed at 6-foot and 190 pounds, is in his third season in Eugene. His early 2026 production and 24.3 yards per catch had made him one of Moore’s most explosive options.
The Ducks scored 84 points against Portland State, a single-game home record, even without McClellan and Johnson. That depth will be tested immediately against a ranked USC team that is 4-0.
Lanning has emphasized McClellan’s toughness and future role with the program. The coach said it is only a question of when the receiver can return, not if.
Oregon entered the season ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP poll before sliding after the Oklahoma State loss and climbing back to No. 20 following the Portland State win.
