EUGENE — In the first quarter of No. 1 Oregon ducks‘ wins over Michigan Wolverinesa crucial part of Oregon’s offense went down. On the Ducks’ first possession of the game, wide receiver Tez Johnson hit the ground after an 11-yard reception, headed for the locker room, then returned to the sideline wearing a sling.

Fortunately for Oregon, Johnson’s shoulder injury likely isn’t season-ending; however, the receiver will be removed for a period of time. Without Johnson, the other receivers on Oregon’s roster will have to step up, and younger players will likely have more opportunities to prove themselves.

Oregon’s depth in the receiving room doesn’t end with Johnson. The Ducks boast the best receiving room in the country. Even without Johnson, Oregon still has dominant, NFL-caliber wide receivers in Evan Stewart and Traeshon Holden.

In Johnson’s absence during the Michigan game, Holden proved he’s an offensive threat worth having on the field. After an incident during Oregon’s game against Ohio State where Holden was ejected, he sat on the road at Purdue and played limited snaps against Illinois. However, Holden had an explosive performance in “The Big House.”

“I’ll tell you what impressed me the most about Traeshon, his composure, his ability to take advantage of the opportunities that came his way,” the Oregon coach. Dan Lanning he said of Holden. “He was a big player for us tonight and we’re proud of him and his performance.”

The 6-3 receiver from Kissimmee, Fla., had six catches for 149 yards. Those were the most yards of his career and the first time he broke 100 yards in a single game. Holden is third on the team with 22 catches and fourth in receiving yards at 313. He is also tied for second with three receiving touchdowns on the season.

Holden is expected to play a bigger role in Johnson’s absence, but he’s not the only one. Wide receiver Evan Stewart he was also a key piece of the Oregon offense. His athletic ability is undeniable and has been on display throughout the season. He caught near-impossible passes, including a one-handed catch in the end zone that didn’t count because of a penalty, but was still impressive.

In Oregon’s toughest matchup of the regular season against No. 1 Ohio State. 2 since then, Stewart has caught seven passes for a game-high 149 yards and a touchdown.

“I was just trying to play my part,” Stewart said. “Because at A&M, we’ve never been able to win that much.”

Lanning preached throughout his tenure at Oregon that “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” and that statement rings true for the sophomore wide receiver. Justius Lowe.

“(Lowe) is definitely the smartest receiver in our room by far,” Stewart said of the underclassman.

“By far,” Johnson agreed.

Lowe had a breakout game during the Ohio State game, where his role increased due to Holden’s absence. Lowe caught one pass for nine yards while playing a career-high 51 snaps. He also made key blocks to help clear up space for Oregon’s running backs.

Since his solid performance against the Buckeyes, Lowe’s role has grown as he continues to prove why he is a player worthy of big opportunities despite his age.

“He’s one of those guys that keeps us pushing as a receiving room. He’s a young guy, but he feels like an older guy now in that room,” Johnson said. “His consistency and his route running. He’s got really good hands. He can get on top of a defense so quickly you won’t even see it; he’ll blow right by you.”

The Ducks also have a handful of talented freshman receivers who could make appearances the rest of the regular season. Those younger players include Jeremiah McClellan and Ryan Pellum, who both saw the field at Michigan.

With Johnson out, the Ducks can also use their talented tight ends more as receivers, mostly Terrance Ferguson, who returns to the field after having his appendix removed.

While Johnson’s injury will certainly hurt Oregon’s offense, the Ducks have a stacked receiving corps that will certainly be able to compensate.