No. 12 Oregon will play through the back half of the season without its top receiving weapons on offense. On Monday, coach Mario Cristobal told reporters that tight end Jake Breeland will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an apparent knee injury in last week's 45-3 win over Colorado.
Cristobal didn't elaborate on the exact nature of Breeland's injury, but the senior left the game against the Buffs in the first quarter, returning later on crutches with a brace on his left knee. The coach only confirmed that Breeland was done for this season, but that he had no reservations about his recovery.
Mario Cristobal on Breeland's injury and his long-term prospects: "He'll come back and he'll train and we think he's going to play a long time. ... Jake is not a pity party guy. He's ready to attack the whole process of getting healthy so he can play again." #GoDucks
— Rob Moseley (@DuckFootball) October 14, 2019
Losing Breeland is a massive blow for this Ducks offense. He is the team's leading pass-catcher with 26 grabs for 405 yards and six touchdowns. At the time of his injury, he led the FBS in receiving yards and was tied for the lead in touchdowns among tight ends. He was selected to our CBS Sports Midseason All-America team, which will be released on Tuesday.
More than anything, though, Breeland has been a security blanket given the injuries and inconsistent play out of Oregon's wide receivers this season. He figures to be one of the top tight ends available for the upcoming NFL draft.
"He's such a great guy and he's meant so much for our team. We're going to do everything we can to get him back out there. We're going to pray for him and we'll be there for him and hope he's OK," Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert said after the Colorado game. "He's a really big part of our offense. But if we were to lose him we'd get the next guy ready. We'd get Hunter Kampmoyer, Ryan Bay and potentially Patrick ready to go."
The loss comes at a particularly tough time, too, as Oregon travels to No. 25 Washington in Week 8.
