Injury updates ahead of Oregon vs. Washington State
There were some noteworthy absences for Oregon during pregame warmups ahead of the Ducks’ pivotal Saturday showdown with Washington State.
First off, some positive news for the Ducks. Freshman linebacker Jackson LaDuke was in uniform during warmups for the first time all season.
LaDuke, a former 4-star signee, has dealt with injuries all season, and Mario Cristobal said earlier this week he was nearing a healthy return. He could factor in at WILL linebacker for the Ducks as the season goes on.
DJ Johnson, who has contributed for the Ducks at both tight end and edge rusher this season, was not with either position group during warmups and it appears he will not play.
Offensive lineman Alex Forsyth is full-go for the Ducks after a few difficult weeks of dealing with recurring back tightness. He played a large role in Oregon’s win over Washington last weekend and it appears that he has not experienced a setback.
Starting offensive lineman Ryan Walk will be out for at least a few weeks, Cristobal said earlier this week. He was seen during warmups on crutches with a large brace on his left leg.
True freshman offensive lineman Jackson Powers-Johnson also went through pregame warmups with the rest of the position group. That’s a positive sign for the Ducks.
Powers-Johnson hasn’t played since the UCLA game in Week 8, when he sustained a sprained and Cristobal said he would be out a “few weeks.” It looks as though the highly-touted freshman is healthy enough to go and could join the o-line rotation Saturday.
Offensive lineman Steven Jones was dinged up during the Washington game but was also full-go during warmups.
Reserve quarterback Robby Ashford was not in uniform during warmups but was on the sideline in street clothes. Ashford has not played a snap for the Ducks this season.
Sophomore walk-on Bradley Yaffe was Oregon’s fourth quarterback during warmups alongside Anthony Brown, Ty Thompson, and Jay Butterfield.
