Oregon
Oregon Ducks’ Dan Lanning Gives Injury Update on Jordan Burch, Marcus Harper II, Tez Johnson
The No. 1 Oregon Ducks are on the precipice of completing their second undefeated regular season in school history, and as Duck fans begin to dust off their 2010 “12-O” t-shirts, Oregon coach Dan Lanning talked to the media in his weekly pregame press conference before the Ducks take on their rival the Washington Huskies. One of the biggest concerns coming off a late bye week is the injury status of certain star players. When asked about the current injury status of senior defensive end Jordan Burch and offensive lineman Marcus Harper II at the end of his presser, Lanning kept things brief.
“I think time will tell,” Lanning said. “Just like I’ve always told you guys, when guys are ready to be out there on the field we’ll see them.”
It’s a similar response from the one’s Lanning has given all season, not wanting to give too much away before kickoff. With their “next man up” mentality, both Burch and Harper’s positions have been temporarily filled by defensive end Matayo Uiagalelei and offensive linemen Dave Iuli and Kawika Rogers respectively.
One of the most positive signs on the injury front for the Ducks leading up to their rivalry game against the Huskies came from senior wide receiver Tez Johnson. Johnson, who suffered a right shoulder injury during Oregon’s win at Michigan on Nov. 2, posted an Instagram story Tuesday, Nov. 19 going into the bye weekend. Johnson also changed his Instagram profile picture from Dragon Ball Z character “Goku” in a healing cryo-chamber to a picture of himself kneeling on the field of Michigan’s “Big House” in the “Warp Speed” all-white Oregon jersey, implying he is back from recovery.
When asked about the injury during an earlier interview, Lanning avoided addressing Johnson’s social media activity. His response may seem familiar to the one given at his weekly presser.
“Yeah, I’m not going to talk about injuries,” Lanning said. “You guys will see them on the field when they’re ready to go.”
Harper, an essential piece to Oregon’s interior trench protection at right guard, left the Michigan game as well but during the fourth quarter with a left knee injury and has been out for almost the same amount of time as Johnson. Lanning stated later on that both Harper and Johnson’s injuries were not “as bad as maybe they appeared on the field.”
As for Burch, he’s been in and out throughout the season, missing a total of four games. His first gap from play came during practice before Oregon’s win against Ohio State at Autzen Stadium. Burch went down with a foot injury. His second injury came against Maryland with an ankle issue and Burch has since missed Oregon’s win against Wisconsin.
Beyond these three athletes, the rest of Oregon’s injuries have been season-long. Offensive lineman transfer Matthew Bedford has missed the entire season with a left knee injury and has no promise to return even though he was expected to be a starter this season. Lanning has also confirmed wide receiver Kyler Kasper and defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner are both out indefinitely.
Oregon kicks off against the Washington Huskies at Autzen Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 4:30 p.m. PS.
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The good times keep on rolling for the Oregon Ducks in the recruiting world. Dan Lanning and the Ducks scored a massive commitment from five-star quarterback Will Mencl out of Chandler, Arizona.
Oregon had been rumored to be leading the race for Mencl’s services for months, but the No. 1 quarterback in the country, per Rivals, cleared the air and committed to the Ducks on Wednesday evening. Mencl chose the Ducks over Auburn and Penn State, both of which battled hard for him down the stretch.
However, Mencl has been connected to Oregon for a long time. While he was offered last fall before breaking out in his junior season, Mencl has been a fan of the program long before he popped up on the Ducks’ recruiting radar. In a post shared by Rivals recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong, Mencl was announced as a quarterback for the Ducks when he was a kid at the 2019 NFL Draft fan experience in 2019.
Now, Mencl is ready to don the green and yellow for real and make his childhood dreams come true. The Ducks have made a point to get Mencl on campus as often as possible and as recently as last week. The continued connection between both sides is ultimately what made the decision easy for the nation’s top passer. Mencl said he told Lanning and the Oregon staff about his decision on Sunday.
“The biggest thing was the relationship with the staff,” Mencl said after committing. “I feel like that continued to grow over time, especially when I first got there last spring. Being able to sit down with Coach Koa, really being an underlooked guy at that time, and kind of blowing up my junior season. And then, the path to the NFL. You can’t deny what they do with quarterbacks and the type of scheme they run. I felt like that was the best fit for me and my family to get to the next level.”
Koa Ka’ai, Oregon’s new quarterback coach, made waves earlier in the offseason after his recruiting test about ice cream flavors went viral, but that doesn’t appear to have scared Mencl off. In fact, the two have a close connection that Oregon hopes will translate to success on the field in the near future.
“My relationship with Coach Koa, I feel like that is super, super strong,” Mencl told Rivals. “I’ve had a lot of discussions with Coach Lanning about the culture there and how they’re going to continue to sustain greatness throughout the program.”
Mencl exploded onto the national recruiting scene with a massive junior season for Chandler. He completed more than 70% of his passes for 3,815 yards and 33 touchdowns against five interceptions in his junior season, leading Chandler to a state title berth. He also rushed for 741 yards and an additional 17 touchdowns.
The Ducks expect to have some competition for Mencl to compete with when he joins the team for the 2027 season, with Dylan Raiola and Akili Smith Jr. already on the roster and competing for a role as the backup. Oregon has gone to the transfer portal as well in recent seasons, finding success with Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, and now Dante Moore.
Oregon has recruited well at quarterback in the past, establishing an NFL pedigree that attracted Mencl. Maybe he will be the one to buck the trend and give the Ducks a true, homegrown product under center.
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‘Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,’ a Wine Enthusiast contributor said of an Oregon wine
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Wine Enthusiast released a list of the top 40 sparkling wines around the world in 2026 – highlighting two bottles of bubbly from Oregon.
“While it can seem like you need a fortune to enjoy high quality sparkling wine, you honestly don’t. Excellent affordable bubbles are being produced around the world, often in places you might not expect. Each of the selections on our inaugural Top 40 Sparkling Wines list delivers personality, freshness, and celebration for under $75,” Wine Enthusiast wrote.
Wine Enthusiast divided its list into separate sparkling categories including, Champagne, Italian Bollicine, American sparkling and bottles $25 and under.
Snagging a spot on the American sparkling list: Corollary Wines in McMinnville.
Corollarly’s 2021 Momtazi Carbonic Rosé Pinot Noir scored 96 points from Wine Enthusiast.
“This is a Peter Max print of a wine, with vivid aromas and flavors to match the wine’s electric Kool-Aid color. It is filled to the brim with aromas and flavors of macerated strawberries, candied rose petals, apricots, and a bitter note similar to watermelon rind. Pour in the largest glass you can find while slow dancing in your socks,” wrote Wine Enthusiast contributor Michael Alberty.
The second Oregon winery to earn a spot on the list: Lytle-Barnett in Dundee.
Wine Enthusiast also gave Lytle-Barnett’s 2018 Brut Rosé Pinot Noir Chardonnay 96 points.
“Bubbles as persistent as an eight-year-old with a question deliver aromas of dried rose petals, macerated strawberries, and a touch of fresh hay and talc. This 70/30 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend is packed with flavors of lemon zest, Honeycrisp apple slices drizzled in caramel, and a dollop of raspberry,” Alberty wrote.
The nods to Corollary and Lytle-Barnett come as the wineries recently helped launch Method Oregon, a nonprofit made up of 50 Oregon wineries aiming to turn Oregon into a global sparkling wine destination.
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