Standout Oregon linebacker sidelined for remainder of regular season

On3 imageby:Ashton Pollard09/14/21

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Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe will be out for the remainder of the regular season, and potentially the year, due to a right foot injury, per The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman. 

This is a huge loss for Oregon, especially after Flowe’s standout performance against Fresno State in Week 1 which earned him Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors. He had 14 tackles and forced a fumble in the 31-24 victory. He did not play in the Ducks’ 35-28 win over Ohio State last weekend.

On Monday, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal hinted that Flowe’s injury might involve a longer period off the field than originally thought. 

“I wish I could say on Flowe what it’s gonna be,” Cristobal said. “It’s a pretty significant injury. We don’t know — always hopeful. But it seems to be a little bit longer term.”

Flowe was the first Oregon player to have 14 tackles and force a fumble in the same game since 2007 and the eighth player in team history to have at least 14 tackles in a season opener, per an announcement from the school. 

Last season, Flowe appeared in Oregon’s opener against Stanford and recorded a tackle before suffering an injury in the game. He was sidelined for the remainder of the season but was reportedly back to 100% prior to the start of the 2021 season.

Defensive injuries piling up for Oregon

The Ducks are dealing with a tornado of bad news on the defensive side of the ball, as Feldman also announced linebackers Dru Mathis and Jackson LaDuke are expected to be out with injuries for an extended period of time as well.

Mathis, a senior, had two tackles in Oregon’s Fresno State opener. He is working through a leg injury that required surgery. LaDuke is a sophomore and saw action in two games last year. He has not played this year after suffering an injury in fall camp.

While they are not expected to miss significant time, linebackers Mase Funa and Keith Brown suffered minor injuries in last week’s game in Columbus. Funa left the field in a walking boot, while Cristobal said Brown’s injury was more of a cramp. Funa is a redshirt sophomore and starter, and Brown is a true freshman.

“Mase and a bunch of other guys, they got nicked up, they got dinged up pretty good,” Cristobal added. “But confident that Mase is good to go and will be OK… [Brown] might have a minor strain but nothing of a large magnitude. He played well and physical and downhill.”

Flowe’s fellow 2020 five-star recruit in the linebacker room, Noah Sewell, will need to step into a leadership role sooner than expected with all of the injuries.

Defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, who will likely be a top-five NFL Draft pick, did not play against Ohio State due to a sprained ankle, although Cristobal said he potentially could have. His status for Saturday remains unknown, but the injury is unlikely to keep him out long term.