The Oregon Ducks are losing a top player on the offense for 2026. He's expected to be the top player at his position in the NFL Draft.
One of the silver linings for the No. 5 Oregon Ducks after their humbling 56-22 loss to No. 1 Indiana in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl on Friday night was that the team arguably overachieved in 2025.
The Ducks are a young team and hope to make a push for the Big Ten championship and national championship in 2026.
While questions have surfaced about head coach Dan Lanning's inability to win big games in the CFP after the blowout loss to IU, the Ducks had a successful season, finishing with a 13-2 record, including wins over No. 12 James Madison and No. 4 Texas Tech in the playoff.
With that being said, Oregon has some big shoes to fill for next season.
Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, talented tight end Kenyon Sadiq is set to enter the 2026 NFL Draft.
"Sources: Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq is leaving school early to declare for the NFL Draft," Thamel posted on X. "He’s Mel Kiper’s No. 1-ranked tight end in the 2026 draft and the No. 10 overall player. He led all tight ends in college football in touchdown catches this year with 8.
"Sadiq caught 51 balls this year for 560 yards, finishing second on the Ducks in receiving yards. For his career, he finishes with 80 catches for 892 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns."
Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq could be a first-round pick
Adam Schefter suggested Sadiq could be a top-10 pick in the draft.
The loss of Sadiq is a big blow for the receiving corps, and potentially quarterback Dante Moore. Moore has not decided if he plans to enter the draft or remain in Eugene for 2026.
Moore is expected to be a first-round pick in April. However, his performance in Friday night's game revealed flaws with the quarterback, and he could be aided by retiring to Oregon to gain more starting experience before jumping to the league.
In the meantime, Oregon snapped up former Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola.
Whoever is under center next season will be worse off without having Sadiq to target.
Sadiq, a junior from Idaho Falls, Idaho, played all three seasons with Oregon. He caught five passes for 29 yards in his final game as a member of the Ducks in the Peach Bowl.