Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq takes center stage: ‘He’s a star’

LAS VEGAS – College football coaches typically choose players with a proven track record of star-level production to attend preseason conference media events.

That wasn’t the case with

Oregon Ducks

tight end

Kenyon Sadiq

, one of three players UO coach

Dan Lanning

brought with him this week to Las Vegas for B1G media days, which concluded Wednesday.

Senior linebacker

Bryce Boettcher

and junior edge

Matayo


Uiagalelei

, also in attendance, were both named second-team All-B1G last season when the Ducks won the Big Ten Conference championship.

Sadiq, however, operated as a backup tight end, finishing seventh on the team in receptions (24) and fifth in receiving yards (308).

None of that was relevant to Lanning.

“He’s a star,” the fourth-year Oregon coach said at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. “Maybe the world doesn’t know about it, but Kenyon Sadiq is a star. And he will be.”

Sadiq didn’t fly completely under the radar last season as the No. 3 tight end behind seniors Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert. With those two now gone, and top returning wide receiver Evan Stewart likely out for the season with a knee injury, Sadiq is in position to take center stage in the passing game as a go-to target for new starting quarterback, redshirt sophomore Dante Moore.

It’s no reach to assume that Sadiq must live up to the expectations Lanning placed on him for Moore and the offense to flirt with matching the dynamic level of production Heisman Trophy finalist, quarterback Dillon Gabriel and company delivered during a 13-1 season.

“We get to see it every day,” Lanning said of Sadiq’s abilities. “You guys don’t necessarily get to see it every day. But you’ll get to see it this season.”

It’s a lot to place on the shoulders of someone coming off producing a modest 332 career receiving yards with three touchdowns. But Sadiq isn’t deterred.

“No added pressure,” he said. “Just go out there and play.”

EVOLUTION

Sadiq felt honored that Lanning took him to Las Vegas with Boettcher and Uiagalelei.

“It means a lot, honestly, him picking me to come up here,” Sadiq said. “It means a lot, and the faith that he has in me as a player and a person.

Much of that faith stems from Sadiq’s transformative offseason.

In June, he traveled to Africa on a 10-day trip with other Oregon student-athletes as

part of Courts for Kids

, a non-profit group that constructs sport courts in rural communities worldwide.

He called it an eye-opening and inspirational opportunity.

“It’s definitely something I’m passionate about, helping others in the community,” he said. “Not just in Africa, but in Eugene or wherever I end up.”

Lanning, Sadiq said, has facilitated opportunities for players to explore areas that could lead them on career paths beyond football, including learning about real estate.

“He’s taken a real interest in real estate, which I’m excited about for him,” Lanning said.

Sadiq’s becoming more well-rounded as a person has impressed Lanning.

“And on top of that, he runs 23 miles per hour, and can vertical jump 41 inches,” Lanning said. “So, that’s pretty good, especially when it comes to football.”

The 6-foot-3 Sadiq’s physical gifts did not include ideal bulk for a tight end. But he said he’s added about 10 pounds to the 247 he carried around last season, all while trimming 2% of his body fat down to around 9%.

“I changed my body a lot,” he said.

The added muscle will allow Sadiq to handle more snaps in the running game.

“It just helped me just hold my base a little bit more,” Sadiq said. “It helps me being explosive into contact. That’s going to help me where I’m not generally as big as a lot of the guys around me.”

Uiagalelei has noticed the improvement.

“I’m not gonna lie, he’s probably one of the best blocking tight ends I go against every day,” Uiagalelei said.

Adding weight while remaining lean has also helped Sadiq as a receiver.

“I’ve gotten a lot faster,” he said. “I feel a lot better in and out of breaks.”

Sadiq has also been working on his ability to lead, something that doesn’t come easily.

“It’s definitely been new for me to take on that role of leadership,” Sadiq said.

He considers himself to be more of a leader by example, but has worked to get out of his comfort zone, especially knowing that he is the veteran in the tight end room.

Lanning has seen the progression and said he’s excited to see what type of leader Sadiq could become this season.

“I watch a lot of Kenyon’s habits, and it feels like those are habits that he’s picked up from the guys that were ahead of him in the past,” Lanning said.

That includes how Sadiq runs on the field, takes notes in meetings and holds others accountable. Lanning sees elements in Sadiq that were found in Ferguson and Herbert.

“He’s done an unbelievable job of absorbing what he’s learned from them,” Lanning said. “And now he’s on the other end of it. Now he’s passing it down to younger guys.”

LARGER ROLE

Lanning recently played a college football video game with his youngest son, Titan. Apparently, the video game version of Sadiq impressed.

“He balled out,” Lanning said. “So, I need to make sure I bring that up to our quarterbacks. Throw it to Kenyon.”

That strategy worked out in the conference championship game. Sadiq caught two passes for 30 yards and two touchdowns, including one where he leaped over a Penn State defender to reach the end zone.

Sadiq said he models his game after Oakland Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, the 13th pick during the 2024 NFL draft out of Georgia, and Ferguson, selected in the second round of the 2025 draft by the Los Angeles Rams.

Emulating Ferguson’s smooth routes is a high priority, as is the way he prepared for games.

“He was like a role model for me,” said Sadiq, who attended Ferguson’s wedding this summer in California. “Ferg knew what everyone on the field was doing at once and what the other team was gonna do as well.”

When Ferguson’s time with the Ducks ended, he made a point of passing the torch to Sadiq.

“He just said, ‘hey, it’s all yours,” Sadiq explained.

With that comes a lot of responsibility, especially in a situation where a new starting quarterback can benefit greatly from a reliable tight end.

“I’m preparing myself for what it’s going to be like and trying to advance my understanding of the game,” Sadiq said.

Ferguson caught 43 passes for 591 yards and three touchdowns last season. Sadiq’s production floor could be his mentor’s ceiling from last season, given his unique combination of speed and chiseled size.

“We call him ‘Kenyon Sadiq the freak’ because he looks that way and he might be one of the fastest guys on the team,” UO linebacker Bryce Boettcher said.

And versatile enough to be used in a variety of ways.

“I think he has an opportunity to really make a name for himself and be that guy,” Uiagalelei said. “Just his athletic ability … He’s almost like a (Washington Commanders wide receiver) Deebo Samuel type. You can put him at running back. You can put him anywhere. He’s gonna cause some major problems this year.”

HUMBLE APPROACH

In addition to not being extremely vocal on the field, Sadiq comes across as not resting on the praise he is receiving.

“He’s incredibly humble,” Boettcher said. “That’s really good, especially when you’re kind of a heck of a player like that. It’s easy to get caught up in the wash, but he is incredibly humble and good dude.”

And he is one whose loyalty to UO is about to pay off. Sadiq could have sought a starting role elsewhere through the transfer.

“Especially nowadays, in this college football era, it’s hard to stay in one position forever,” he said. “So, I’m definitely not gonna say it was easy.”

Remaining in the same system and working with Moore, who transferred from UCLA last year, should prove invaluable.

“Looking back on it, now, I’m super grateful that I did it and stayed and chose to stay behind (Ferguson and Herbert), because I learned so much from them,” Sadiq said. “And I think it just helped me mature in a role instead of just thinking it was hard.”

Last season, Sadiq was caught up in the numbers game behind a future NFL tight end. Yet he was always on the minds of Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein.

“Every week, we were trying to find ways to make sure that Kenyon was part of our game,” Lanning said.

This season, opponents must figure out how to deal with Sadiq being one of the focal points of Oregon’s game plan.

“Kenyon is going to be harder for people to deal with,” Lanning said. “He’s a special player. He’s the best tight end in the nation.”

— Aaron Fentress |

afentress@Oregonian.com

|

@aaronjfentress.bsky.social

|

@AaronJFentress

(X),

@AaronJFentress

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