When No. 1 Oregon takes on Washington at 4:30 p.m. in Autzen Stadium, the question on everyone's mind is whether Tez Johnson will be back on the field. A recent social media post by the star wide receiver seemed to suggest he had been cleared to play again after missing nearly three complete games due to an injury in the first quarter against Michigan on Nov. 2. He wrote on his Instagram story on Nov. 19, "He'sssssssssssss!! Backkkkkkkkkkk!!" attached to a photo of him celebrating during a game earlier this season.

Coach's Stance on Injuries

Last Wednesday during the bye-week press conference, Oregon coach Dan Lanning remained tight-lipped about Johnson's post. He said, "I'm not gonna talk about injuries. You guys will see them on the field when they're ready to go." Similarly, when asked about the availability of defensive end Jordan Burch and offensive guard Marcus Harper II for Saturday's game on Monday night, Lanning had a similar message. He stated, "Yeah, I think time will tell. It's like I've always told you guys, when guys are ready to be out on the field, you'll see them."

List of Injured Players

Here is an unofficial list of players who have known injuries or were listed on the Big Ten Conference availability report prior to Oregon's win against the Badgers.The offensive lineman Matthew Bedford, who was once projected to start at guard, is out with a knee injury. He has been limited this season to just a few snaps at the end of the Oregon State game in Week 3 and has been listed as out on the Big Ten availability report for the last eight games.Jordan Burch, the starting defensive end, injured his ankle in the fourth quarter against Maryland on Nov. 9 and didn't play the following week against Wisconsin.Dakoda Fields, the freshman defensive back, has been out with a knee injury and there is no timetable for his return, as Lanning said on Aug. 28.Jahlil Florence, the nine-game starter at cornerback last season, continues to work his way back from a knee injury that occurred last November against Arizona State. He has been listed as out for every game so far this season but has been participating in practice in recent weeks. He tweeted earlier this month, "I'm trying to get back for y'all! Soon soon soon."My'Keil Gardner, the redshirt freshman expected to provide depth along the defensive line this fall, has been out all season with an undisclosed injury. When asked about Gardner's potential to play this season, Lanning answered, "Possibly. We'll continue to access where he's at and feel it out."Zach Grisham, the redshirt sophomore defensive back, hasn't played since the Boise State game on Sept. 7. He has been officially listed as out for the last seven games with no timetable given for his return.Marcus Harper II, the senior right guard, suffered a leg injury in the fourth quarter against Michigan on Nov. 2 and has missed the last two games, ending his streak of 23 straight starts.Tez Johnson, the senior wide receiver, injured his shoulder in the first quarter against Michigan on Nov. 2 and missed the games against Maryland and Wisconsin. He leads the team with 64 catches for 649 yards and eight touchdowns this season.Kyler Kasper, the sophomore receiver, has missed the last seven games with an undisclosed injury and his return this season is questionable. When asked if Kasper would play again this season earlier this month, Lanning said, "I don't know that he will. And again, we'll always put the player first. He's trying his tail off to rehab his way back. He's been doing such a great job for us this year. I'm really proud of his growth, but if he's able to, fantastic. But I'm not anticipating that necessarily happening."Khamari Terrell, the junior reserve defensive back, was listed as out against Wisconsin.Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men's basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and you can follow him on X @chansen_RG.