Oregon Running Back Jay Harris Available vs. Indiana
Oregon’s running back depth has taken a hit in the week since the Ducks defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders 23-0 in the Orange Bowl. But head coach Dan Lanning had good news for fans on Thursday morning as he confirmed running back Jay Harris will be available for Oregon in the Peach Bowl against No. 1 Indiana despite entering the transfer portal on Wednesday.
Harris’ availability is welcome news after freshman Jordon Davison broke his collarbone in the Orange Bowl and was subsequently ruled out for Friday’s rematch with the Hoosiers. He’s played in 10 games for Oregon this season, running for 116 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown.
The redshirt junior has essentially been the Ducks’ No. 5 running back from a volume standpoint, logging 20 fewer carries than Jayden Limar, who announced he was entering the transfer portal on Tuesday.
“I think he’s an exceptional back,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said of Harris Wednesday evening after Oregon arrived in Atlanta. “He’s got great balance, he can run, he can really catch the ball. I think he’s at a spot now to really flourish given the opportunity.”
Harris transferred to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season as a Division 2 first-team All-America selection at Northwest Missouri State, where he rushed for 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns on 333 carries across his 20 career games.
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The Ducks are hoping for more success running the ball than they saw against Texas Tech, as they finsihed with just 64 rushing yards and averaged 1.4 yards per carry.
Oregon is expected to deploy a three-man running back rotation Friday between Noah Whittington, Dierre Hill Jr. and Harris when they face Indiana.
Oregon’s running backs averaged more than five yards per carry in the team’s 30-20 loss against Indiana in Octobe, while Davison being the most successful at 59 total yards and 7.4 yards per carry. Whittington finished with 27 yards and 5.4 yards per carry.
