Dan Lanning and his Oregon Ducks capped off an undefeated 12-0 regular season before wrapping it up with a 13-1 overall record. However, when it came to their total offense, Lanning’s boys could not make it to the top 15. They averaged only 6.39 yards per play. But at the same time, the 2024 Oregon football team possessed one of the best groups of receivers in the country. Probably the best group overall in the program’s history.
Moving into the 2025 season, Lanning might already be losing his sleep. The Ducks have lost Tez Johnson, who became the heart of the program, coming up with 898 yards and 10 touchdowns, to the NFL. Then came more blows as Traeshon Holden, after racking up 718 yards and 5 touchdowns, followed Johnson to the pro league. Amidst these concerns, here comes some good news for Lanning. Kyler Kasper has been deemed fit.
The last season has been a year of heartbreak for Lanning and Co. Turns out that Oregon had held high hopes for Kasper, who stands at 6-6, 210 pounds and is the tallest in the Ducks’ receiving room. Unfortunately, he did not find luck by his side when it came to gridiron action last season. The redshirt junior appeared in Oregon’s first four games last season with one reception for 21 yards. After that, Lanning’s budding star got sidelined for the rest of the season because of a foot injury in Week 5 against UCLA. But here comes some good news for Lanning. On July 28, On3’s Oregon insider Max Torres shared a clip from Kasper’s interview. The player said, “Finally healthy now.”
Kyler Kasper enters 2025 healthy after battling injury last season.
He’s ready to go pic.twitter.com/yu9vBW9g9T
— Max Torres (@mtorressports) July 28, 2025
He continued, “It was unfortunate last season, but it’s my time to shine. I’d been doing anything I could do to get back healthy, to get back my body right, gain weight, speed all that. Just ready to roll.” Kasper’s injury was combined with that of Gary Bryant Jr., who also missed the 2024 season. However, Kasper’s progress comes as a motivational boost for Lanning ahead of the fall camp. “I had metatarsal fracture, broke my feet, it was something I have been dealing for a while, but basically had to get surgery on it, knock that out. I am stronger than ever, feels great, have no problem with it at practice or anything like that,” assured the wide receiver.
Right at the moment, Lanning’s depth chart features wide receiver Justius Lowe, Kasper, Dakorien Moore, Malik Benson, Dillon Gresham, among others. But it turns out that Lanning is counting high on someone else.
Dan Lanning is yet to hit the bull’s eye
Before the 2025 season pulled up the curtains, Lanning’s wide receiver room suffered a big blow. Back in June, Evan Stewart suffered a knee injury, falling prey to a torn patellar tendon. The former five-star recruit and top-returning target then posted a tweet that further led to clouds of uncertainty looming over Lanning’s squad. He tweeted, “Thank you for all the well wishes, I’m on the road to recovery. Don’t put a timeline on me. Following God’s Plan! Thank you for the prayers! Be back soon!” And what’s the latest update?
Lanning said it is “probably too premature now to say” if Stewart could return in 2025. But turns out that he is already considering Stewart’s replacement. That’s none other than tight end Kenyon Sadiq. “I want to take some time to acknowledge those guys who came along with me. Kenyon Sadiq. Our tight end has had an unbelievable offseason. He’s been an integral part of our team. He’s done a lot of special things, and I think many of you realize that he’s a really special talent,” said Lanning. The young player gained Lanning’s trust after receiving 1,166 yards for 19 TDs as a junior in high school.
Moving into the 2025 season, Dan Lanning can’t afford any mess-ups. The Ducks went 13-1 and won the Big Ten championship. The head coach has led Oregon to a terrific 35-6 overall record while posting double-digit wins in each of his first three seasons. In ESPN’s list of ‘Best active FBS head coaches (1-3 years),’ Lanning stands at No.5. In that case, the Oregon Ducks are arguably one of the best schools never to win a Natty. It’s high time that the head coach gets rid of this tag. The 2025 season is Lanning’s litmus test.
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