Jamari Johnson taking ownership of Oregon TE room in 2026

For all the buzz Kenyon Sadiq generated as potentially the best tight end in the nation last season, Jamari Johnson was just as good. If you ask some NFL scouts, he might have been even better.

Now, returning as the starter for the Oregon Ducks, Johnson is the security blanket for Dante Moore and the offense. He made 32 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns en route to an All-Big Ten honorable mention nomination.

Johnson stepped up during the College Football Playoff, snagging nine catches and two touchdowns in Oregon's three-game postseason run. Standing at 6-foot-5, 257 pounds, Johnson is a massive target for the Ducks, literally. Yet, it was his speed and spectacular catches paired with his thundering run-after-catch ability that stood out the most.

The former Louisville transfer will play an even more crucial role for the Ducks this season as Moore looks to elevate the program to its first championship. But, as is typical for the program, the Ducks are always thinking about what's next. Not just the coaches, but the veteran leaders on the team as well, including Johnson.

In the offseason, the Ducks made two big additions to the tight end room. Freshman Kendre Harrison, who will double as a basketball star for the Ducks, and Penn State transfer Andrew Olesh are battling this spring for the backup position on the depth chart. Oregon has used three tight ends in recent years, so there is some pressure for the young and new faces to figure out the system quickly.

New offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer, who also coached tight ends with the Ducks, is part of the process of getting the young guys ready to go. It certainly helps to have a player on the field providing direction as well.

"I'd say the biggest thing that I've seen with Jamari, and I've caught it all the way back into winter workouts, is the way this guy is coaching as a player," Dan Lanning said during Tuesday's press conference. "The way he's influencing and leading others. If he sees a route run the wrong way, he has no problem challenging somebody's accountability and saying, 'Hey, man, you're not doing that the way it needs to be done.'"

Sadiq was a vocal leader in the locker room for the Ducks. While he and Johnson are different players with distinctly different personalities and play styles, the Inglewood native will be called upon to fire the team up this season, especially the unproven talent in his position group.

After only one season in Eugene, Johnson has established enough trust and respect within the program to set the standard for the Ducks' tight ends.

"He has relationships that allow you to be a leader, which allows you to go coach," Lanning said. "But he's obviously a dynamic playmaker for us. He's a really complete player from a standpoint of he's a matchup issue. If he's split out, if he's matched up on a linebacker, that's something you can take advantage of. All those things are things we're looking at, and the intelligence factor. So really proud of his growth, but definitely proud of his growth as a leader."

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Jamari Johnson 'coaching as a player' in unproven Oregon TE room