‘Just give 18 the ball;' Kenyon Sadiq shines at TE1 at Oregon football spring game

USA Today

27-04-2025

'Just give 18 the ball;' Kenyon Sadiq shines at TE1 at Oregon football spring game
The Oregon Ducks have had a tradition of great tight ends over the years, but Kenyon Sadiq may be on a whole other level.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound junior out of Idaho Falls could be the most athletic tight end in Duck history and, with a good season, could very well be a first-round draft pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Sadiq showed off his unique talents in last season's Big Ten Championship Game when he scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, one in which he hurdled a defender on his way to the end zone. He had to play behind Terrance Ferguson for the previous two seasons, but here in 2025, it will be Sadiq's time to shine.
According to quarterback Dante Moore, Sadiq is a special talent, and building a rapport with him on and off the field is going to be beneficial for everyone involved. In the end, he just needs the opportunities.
'Just give 18 the ball," Moore said. "I mean, that's what I tell Coach (Drew) Mehringer every day when I see him. I mean, give him the ball. He just makes plays, man. I mean, every opportunity in this offense, you got to find the best player. Of course, you have multiple of them, but I just got to give 18 the ball. He's gonna make a play."
That chemistry between the two players showed itself during the Spring Game. Sadiq led all receivers with seven catches for 102 yards. He even hurdled a defender during the second half.
"I was glad to have him on my team during the spring game. We have a really good connection," Moore said. "He used to live by me, you know, my neighbor. So we're pretty close, but overall, I'm just blessed to have him. He's a freak, with him running 23 miles per hour, it's insane. So glad to have him on a team.'
Seeing Sadiq do special things on the field isn't anything new to head coach Dan Lanning. While Duck fans have been clamoring to see more of Sadiq over the past couple of years, this is something that Oregon players and coaches have known was coming for a while.
'I have seen it every day that he's been here. He's a guy that has constantly improved, worked really hard, and embraced whatever role he's wearing for the team," Lanning said of his TE1. "He has been able to help us since the day he got here. I think you saw some of Kenyon that we get to see every day in practice.'
When practices become tougher than the actual games, opposing Big Ten teams will have a rough time stopping Sadiq, and the Ducks can't wait for the regular season to start.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.