Oregon is losing stars on both sides of the ball as defensive tackle Derrick Harmon and wide receiver Tez Johnson both declared for the 2025 NFL draft Monday.
Harmon, a transfer from Michigan State, was a stalwart for a defense that helped the Ducks to a Big Ten championship in their first season in the conference, as well as the No. 1 seed in the first 12-team College Football Playoff. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Harmon recorded 5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 10.5 tackles for loss and a team-high 9 quarterback hurries, while earning All-Big Ten honors.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Harmon as the No. 19 prospect for the draft and the No. 4 draft-eligible defensive tackle.
In an Instagram post, Harmon thanked Oregon coach Dan Lanning, former Michigan State coach Mel Tucker and others for their support.
Johnson led Oregon with 83 receptions for 898 yards and 10 touchdowns, despite sitting out a game and a portion of another because of a shoulder injury. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors as both a wide receiver and a return specialist, as he averaged 11.9 yards on punt returns with an 85-yard touchdown against Boise State. Johnson became the first wide receiver to earn Big Ten championship game MVP honors after a record 181 receiving yards on 11 catches in a win against Penn State on Dec. 7.
The 5-10, 165-pound Johnson set Oregon's single-season receptions record with 86 in 2023, while earning second-team All-Pac-12 honors. Johnson started two seasons with the Ducks after transferring from Troy.
At 15, he moved in with the family of high school teammate Bo Nix, and later teamed with Nix, now the Denver Broncos quarterback, at Oregon in 2023.
