A college football player from the University of Oregon has been arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 46-year-old man, police say.
The Eugene Police Department is investigating 19-year-old University of Oregon defensive back Daylen Amir Austin after a fatal hit-and-run crash took place a W. 4th Avenue and Polk Street in Eugene, Oregon, on Monday night at approximately 9:10 p.m just three miles from the college campus.
“Daylen Amir Austin, age 19, was arrested at 11:45 p.m. on April 15 and has initially been charged with felony Hit and Run,” said the Eugene Police Department in a statement released on Wednesday. “This is a complex investigation and EPD is still gathering information to be submitted to the Lane County District Attorney’s Office for a final charging decision.”
Daylen Auston, a college football player from the University of Oregon, has been arrested in connection to a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 46-year-old man, according to the Eugene Police Department.
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University of Oregon
The person struck by the car, confirmed to be a 46-year-old man by police, has not yet been identified and no other details on him have been released.
A hit-and-run with a vehicle is a Class C felony in Oregon and is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Austin appeared in three games as a freshman in 2023, after coming to the University of Oregon from Long Beach Poly High in Southern California where he was ESPN’s No. 142-ranked player in the class of 2023 and the No. 11 player in California, according to ESPN.
The investigation into the circumstances that led up to and caused the accident is currently ongoing.
The Oregon Ducks finished the 2023 season with the second-best passing and scoring offense in college football. However, coming into spring camp, there were questions about the 2024 passing game due to the departure of Troy Franklin. Simply put, how does Oregon coach Dan Lanning replace a wide receiver who caught 81 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns?
Fortunately, coach Lanning only had to look at his roster to find the solution.
“We have some talented guys in that room, which is great,” Lanning said after the Oregon football spring game of Oregon’s receiving corps. “We’ve got to continue to eliminate some of the MAs (missed assignments) that are gonna occur when you’re learning stuff.
Lanning continued, “I see burst, I see explosion. I see guys that attack the ball when it’s in the air. It’s a deep group with a lot of guys who can help us.”
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Jan 1, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Gary Bryant Jr. (2) and Tez Johnson (15)
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Back to the roster. Enter Tez Johnson who, in his first year as a Duck, set an Oregon single-season record for receptions with 86 for 1,182 receiving yards – the third-most in UO single-season history—and 10 touchdowns. He was one of 11 players, including Franklin, that reached 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit TD catches. In addition, PFF rated Johnson as one of the best receivers in the country. His 89.9 grade this season trailed only Marvin Harrison Jr. among all FBS receivers.
The rich get richer when Oregon signed transfer receiver, Evan Stewart. The addition of the acrobatic Stewart adds more depth to Oregon’s already-impressive wide receiver room. Stewart joins returning players Traeshon Holden, Gary Bryant Jr. and Justius Lowe, all vying for playing time.
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“I want to show that I am a jack of all trades,” said Stewart in Oregon’s final week of spring practices. “…I can go up and get it like a big receiver, I can move like a little receiver. I’ve got great hands, I’m very quick, very fast.”
On paper, the Ducks’ passing game looks to be in great shape. That said there is work needed in order to improve and become the team coach Lanning believes they can be.
“The DNA traits for us aren’t going to change, right?” Lanning said of his 2024 team. “It still has to be about connection, growth, toughness and sacrifice. But every team is unique and every team is different. And it’s about growing up together. This spring, I think our team grew up a ton. Going into spring I knew we had a talented team, but we had to become a team. And I think I saw a lot of that throughout this spring.”
New head coach Jonathan Smith stepped into a hero role at Michigan State to try and revive a dying program. After multiple losing seasons, hopes are not very high for the Spartans, but with Jonathan Smith leading the cavalry, hopefully, they can turn things around. The Big Ten conference is about to get a lot stronger.
One of the teams entering the Big Ten conference next season is the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks have produced two quarterbacks who were taken in the top 12 picks in recent years, with Justin Herbert being drafted by the Chargers in 2022 at pick six and Bo Nix getting drafted just a few days ago by the Denver Broncos.
Oregon had eight players get selected in this years draft including a top 12 pick which will definitely set them back a little bit for the following seasons but they certainly have a knack for recruiting and producing talent. Oregon was ranked seventh in both the AP top 15 and coaches poll concluding the 2023-24 season and are now switching up conferences so they have a lot of preparation to do.
Michigan State will face off against Oregon in week six of the 2024 season following a matchup against Ohio State. The Spartans have a rigid middle part of the year, but hopefully, having coaches and players with experience in the Pac-12 and playing against Oregon can help them a little bit. Michigan State has a real shot at redemption if they can beat a proven team and can hold their own in the midseason.
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Jonathan Smith, armed with his staff coaches and players and a knack for inspiring leadership, holds the key to Michigan State’s resurgence. His experience as a player and a coach grants him insight into the game’s strategy. He can rally the team toward excellence by instilling a discipline, teamwork, and determination culture. Taking down his old rival school would signify a triumph on the field and a symbolic turning point in Michigan State’s journey back to glory. Smith’s vision and the team’s unwavering dedication promise a promising revival for the Spartans.
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One of the members of the Oregon Ducks 2025 recruiting class decomitted on Monday afternoon, with 3-star offensive lineman Chavez ‘Sandman’ Thompson opening up his recruitment once again.
Thompson, the No. 687 overall recruit in the nation and No. 51 interior offensive lineman in the 2025 cycle, had been committed to Oregon since May of last year.
With the departure of Thompson, the Ducks now have five verbal commitments in the class of 2025, headlined by 5-star wide receiver Dallas Wilson and 4-star QB Akili Smith Jr.
Thompson’s decommitment comes a few weeks after 4-star wide receiver Adrian Wilson flipped his commitment to Arizona State.
