Oregon coach Mario Cristobal announced Thursday that star running back CJ Verdell will miss the rest of the season with an apparent lower-leg injury he suffered in the third quarter of Oregon’s 31-24 overtime loss to Stanford in Week 5. Cristobal said after the game that it seemed like “a pretty significant injury,” but did not disclose its exact nature.
Verdell, a fifth-year junior, leads the No. 8 Ducks in rushing with 397 yards and five touchdowns with a pair of receiving touchdowns to boot. His absence should mean an even greater role for fellow veteran back Travis Dye, who has 382 yards rushing on 60 carries with three touchdowns. Behind Verdell and Dye is little proven depth, however, since no other running back has carried the ball more than six times this season.
The Ducks are off this week before hosting California on Oct. 15. Despite the loss to Stanford, Oregon is still in prime position to reach the Pac-12 Championship Game while staying in the mix for a College Football Playoff bid if it can run the table.
Compensating for the loss of Verdell adds a layer of complication to that mission, however. The three players listed behind Verdell and Dye on the depth chart at running back are redshirt freshman Trey Benson, and true freshmen Byron Cardwell and Seven McGee. That trio has combined for just 13 carries this season.
The bye week should help the Oregon staff get a read on the competition for reps behind Dye and help the locker room process the loss of a team leader. Verdell played a heroic role in Oregon’s upset victory at then-No. 3 Ohio State on Sept. 11, rushing for 161 yards and two touchdowns while catching another. It was just the latest big moment of a storied career for the former three-star prospect.
After redshirting in 2017, Verdell burst onto the scene in 2018 with 1,018 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He followed up with 1,220 yards on the ground in 2019. With the shortened 2020 season not counting against his eligibility, Verdell is technically a junior this season and would be eligible to return for a sixth season.
