Oregon is preparing to play in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl against Indiana on Friday. Regardless, they have lost players to the College Football Transfer Portal. Daylen Austin has hit the portal and will not play in the game. Now, it is being reported that another player in the transfer portal will be available for the game.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning has confirmed that running back Jay Harris will be available for the game, per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.
This is a major win for the Ducks. They will be without four running backs in the game due to injury. Jordon Davison is out with an injury. He was second on the team in rushing this season and led the team in touchdowns. Meanwhile, Makhi Hughes, Da'Juan Riggs, and Jayden Limar are all out for this game, with Hughes and Limar in the portal.
This leaves Noah Whittington as the top back for the game. He has run for 829 yards this season with six scores. Dierre Hill Jr will be the backup. He ran for 570 yards and five scores. The third back will be Harris. Harris has run for 116 yards and a touchdown so far this season.
Harris has just completed his second season with the Ducks after starting his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State. There, he ran for 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns during his 2023 campaign, earning Division-II All-American honors. As a redshirt junior, he will still have one year of eligibility left.
The Ducks look to avenge their early loss to Indiana. The running back room will tough test, as Indiana is third in the nation against the run.
