In the College Football Playoff era, no team has faced such decimation at one particular position than the Oregon Ducks faced at running back on Friday night against the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the semifinals.
An untimely transfer portal period saw Makhi Hughes, Jayden Limar and Jay Harris enter the transfer portal while the Ducks were still alive in the playoff. Injuries to Da’Jaun Riggs and Jordon Davison compounded the issue even more. And when starter and leading rusher Noah Whittington popped up on the injury report with a “questionable” tag, the sky might as well have been falling for the Ducks‘ fanbase.
That left true freshman scatback Dierre Hill Jr. and Harris, who, oddly enough, was able to make the decision to stay with the team for another game despite officially being in the transfer portal.
Welcome to college football in 2026, ladies and gentleman.
Whittington ended up being a game-time decision and was active but when the game began, it was clear that a foot issue was slowing him down considerably, as he saw just several snaps in pass protection.
Oregon’s starter for their CFP Semifinal matchup with the top-ranked Hoosiers turned out to be Harris, a little-used redshirt junior running back in his second season with the Ducks. Amidst a loaded running back room, the 6-foot-2, 224-pounder carried the ball 26 times for 116 yards and a touchdown in 2025.
But now, the light shone on Harris to take a bulk of the carries.
After a 56-22 beatdown at the hands of the Hoosiers in which Oregon fans’ biggest concern was the lack of depth and talent at the running back position heading into the game, Harris instead proved to be one of, if not the lone bright spot for the Ducks.
After the game, offensive coordinator Will Stein praised the team’s newfound No. 1 back.
“We have a really deep running back room, and I think that showed tonight,” Stein said. “The strength in numbers is something that we always preach, and he’s done a great job all year. He’s the guy that always shows up to work every single day, grinds, works his ass off and was really happy for him in this moment.”
The moment wasn’t too big for Harris, who’s career-high in carries during two seasons with the Ducks was just seven. But that’s not to say he’s never been a feature back in a high-stakes role; during his first three seasons in college, Harris was at Northwest Missouri State. He excelled as a redshirt freshman and sophomore, racking up 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns in 20 games, earning a Division-II All-American nod in 2023.
That honor catapulted him into a transfer to Oregon, where he likely never saw as much time as he envisioned, leading to another entrant into the transfer portal this week.
But it’s funny how time works, as Harris was given the most volume that he’s ever had days after officially entering the portal.
By game’s end, Harris had carried the ball 16 times for 35 yards and a touchdown while finishing as the Ducks’ third-leading receiver with three catches for 32 yards. Altogether, the former D-II All-American turned 19 touches into 67 yards and a score just days after being thrusted into the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I’m just blessed,” Harris said after the game. “Thank you for this opportunity that my coach has given me. Ready to just continue working off season and just getting ready for wherever I’m at. … I feel like I did well. Given more opportunities, I’m able to showcase more what I’m able to do, but feel like I was able to showcase what I was able to do.”
The oddity of the situation wasn’t lost on Harris, who more than likely played his last game in an Oregon uniform. As for his next steps, rather than look too far ahead, he preached staying in the moment.
“Kind of just being where my feet are, just controlling what I can control right now and staying focused on where my feet are right now,” he said.
For Harris, who was thrust into a feature role in the CFP semifinals against the No. 1 team in the nation with Oregon’s season on the line while just recently entering the transfer portal, the pressure was incredibly high.
But instead of faltering, wilting under the pressure in the biggest moment of his career, Harris responded and gave his team everything that he had. In the end, he embodied everything that head coach Dan Lanning has built this program up to be, regardless of if he’s still a Duck in a week or not.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon Ducks RB Jay Harris impresses in CFP Semifinals against Indiana
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/injuries-rb-room-jay-harris-204418901.html
