Nepotism is all right as long as you keep it in the family.
Plagued by injuries in his first two seasons, junior tight end Patrick Herbert is finally getting a chance to prove the potential the Ducks saw in him when they recruited him out of Sheldon High School.
Originally he attracted attention partly because of his famous brother, former Oregon star and current NFL quarterback Justin Herbert, but the youngest Herbert brother is rapidly emerging as a fast, hardworking tight end with a knack for creating chunk plays.
In both of the Ducks first two games, he's gotten open for a catch of over 20 yards, a 23-yarder up the left sideline against Portland State, a 21-yarder up the right sideline in the fourth quarter of the comeback win over Texas Tech.
It was against Tech also that he threw his first pass, lobbing a three-yard completion to fellow tight end Terrance Ferguson for a two-point conversion early in the game.
Herbert makes the throw to Terrance Ferguson and completes to the 2-point conversion for @oregonfootball! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8MSQpVgr4h
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 9, 2023
Herbert rolled left out of the Swinging Gate formation in heavy traffic, showing a cool head as he tossed the ball to T-Ferg in the left corner of the end zone. The play took the Fox camera crew by surprise; they barely captured it.
It also proved pivotal in the game: those two points became a lever, a thorn, a distraction for the Red Raiders as the game went on. Tech tried a matching 2-point conversion and failed, then the Ducks tacked on a field goal before the half to lead 18-13. Late in the fourth quarter Oregon took a 31-30 lead. The extra pressure of that two-point conversion created desperation on Tech's last drive, which resulted in a Pick Six by Jeffrey Bassa.
Last fall against California, Herbert got behind the Bear secondary for a 40-yard touchdown, the longest play of his short career.
After a great fall camp and two strong games to open 2023, he's now listed as a co-starter along with Ferguson, a good pass catcher in his own right.
Having two quality tight ends makes the Oregon offense even more potent. It opens up more combinations for power formations, new ways to test the defense. Next week's opponent Colorado lacks size and strength in the back Seven, so double tight end sets become a great way to attack them.
It's not the size of the dog, it's the size of the fight in the dog for Travis Hunter 😤 💪 @CUBuffsFootball x @TravisHunterJr pic.twitter.com/hwmrRtCfQY
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 11, 2023
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