The Oregon Ducks have had a great week. Dan Lanning is still their head coach; the Ducks landed elite wide receiver transfer Evan Stewart and now just picked up another terrific player from the transfer portal. Houston Cougars defensive lineman Ja’Maree Caldwell joined up with the Ducks on Friday night.
Caldwell declared his intentions to transfer to Oregon on social media. He made the announcement on his X account. “COMMITTED,” he posted. The post also included a graphic edit of the former Houston Cougar in a Ducks uniform.
COMMITTED. pic.twitter.com/qF7ZklVKBY
— Ja’Maree Caldwell / Ⓜ️aree (@Maree803) January 13, 2024
Caldwell went through Junior College before he arrived in Houston. The former Cougar had a windy road to Eugene but made the most of his last two seasons. As a Cougar, he totaled 38 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He’ll join a stout defensive line under a proven defensive coach in Lanning. With a plethora of solid defenders, he could have a big season as a Duck.
Oregon is white-hot with momentum. It probably helps their cause that their arch-rival is in the midst of their worst week… ever??? Washington lost the National Championship Game to Michigan, they lost head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, and a growing list of their players declared for the NFL or entered the portal already. Yeesh. If you ask any Oregon fans, though, they’re probably alright with how this week has transpired.
About Chris Novak
Chris Novak has been talking and writing about sports ever since he can remember. Previously, Novak wrote for and managed sites in the SB Nation network for nearly a decade from 2013-2022