It didn’t take Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq long to make a highlight-reel worthy play in their Week 12 matchup with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In just the sixth play of the game, Sadiq snuck up the left sideline on a wheel route, wide open. Quarterback Dante Moore led him a little further than he intended, causing Sadiq to fully layout for his first catch of the game. He landed at the one-yard line, with the Ducks scoring three plays later.
By game’s end, Sadiq had set career-highs in catches (eight) and receiving yards (96) while adding one touchdown.
The performance caught the eye of ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller, who made sure to recognize Sadiq in ESPN’s weekly NFL draft prospect roundup.
“Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq was worth the price of admission on Friday night, making ridiculous grabs while catching eight passes for 96 yards and a touchdown in a blowout win over Minnesota,” Miller wrote. “The 6-foot-3, 245-pounder is an easy mover and a matchup problem for safeties and linebackers given his size and quickness. My favorite trait is how well he adjusts to the ball in the air and finishes with speed when closing on it. Sadiq is playing like a top-20 pick and is the hands-down top tight end of the 2026 class.”
Sadiq displayed all those traits on Friday night. He showed his acrobatic catching ability on the Ducks‘ first drive, but that wasn’t all as far as eye-catching plays — in fact, far from it.
In the second half, Sadiq somehow managed to reel in a pass with one hand when he was nearly on the ground with a Minnesota defender draped all over him. He caught a pass in the middle of the field and appeared to be down before regaining his balance and walking into the end zone.
Replay later showed that the use of his helmet to regain his balance ruled him down inside the five-yard line — regardless, an extremely athletic play that only a handful of football players, college or NFL, could make. Oregon went right back to him from there, as his body control was on full display as he twisted and turned for his first touchdown of the night in the corner of the end zone.
With numerous NFL team scouts in attendance and plenty more watching on TV, it’s hard to imagine Sadiq putting on a better show than he did on Friday night.
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