After boasting one of the deepest wide receiver groups in the nation at the start of the year, Oregon’s depth at the wideout spot has been decimated by injuries.

During the Ducks’ 52-49 loss to California on Oct. 21, quarterback Justin Herbert shredded the Bears’ defense in the second half by connecting with his tight ends and running backs.

Herbert completed 22 passes but just nine of those completions went to wide receivers, with seven of those going to Charles Nelson. Herbert has looked like a superstar in the making in his first two starts, but as of right now he is playing with less help at receiver than anybody expected.

“Herb played a great game,” Oregon cornerback Tyree Robinson told reporters after the Cal game. “He made some difficult throws but we’re limited on receivers. There’s a lot on that — a lot of guys nicked up. We just have to get everybody back.”

Star wideout Darren Carrington has been heavily covered this year, and Oregon has seen less production from its talented wideout core than anticipated. The solution? Enter Jalen Brown.

Brown, a sophomore from Phoenix, Arizona, pulled down five catches for 97 yards during Oregon’s win over Arizona State on Saturday. His breakout performance included a 49-yard circus catch which set up an Oregon field goal that gave the Ducks a two-possession lead.

HIGHLIGHT | A great throw, even better catch! Herbert to Jalen Brown for 49 yards. #GoDucks #ASUvsUO https://t.co/u7mF3XlOav

— Oregon Football (@WinTheDay) October 29, 2016

“I just beat my guy deep,” Brown said of the catch. “Justin [Herbert] had to roll out under pressure and threw a little under. I had to go get it and make sure to push the field.”

Devon Allen and Dwayne Stanford each started the year splitting time at the outside receiver spot opposite Carrington. Allen suffered a season-ending knee injury early in the season, and Stanford has missed the past three games with various injuries. Freshman Dillon Mitchell was also touted as a player who could see reps at the outside receiver position but has been injured as well and played in just two games this year. On Saturday, the absence of those players was felt a little less as Brown gashed the Sun Devils’ secondary.

“Jalen is just a stud,” Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich said. “It’s almost like with Tony Brooks-James, where the understudy is now the key player. He’s a guy we believe a ton in; he does everything 100 miles an hour.”

Brown has seen plenty of playing time but had just four catches in seven games prior to Saturday. He had made a significant impact in the blocking game, though, and Oregon’s coaches and players were confident that his athletic talents were too great to keep him out of the passing game for long.

“He probably has the best hands I’ve ever seen out of anybody,” Oregon wide receiver Casey Eugenio said. “He can catch any ball, really.”

With Stanford and Mitchell each still questionable heading into Oregon’s Saturday matchup with USC, there is no reason to believe that Brown’s playing time is going to decrease anytime soon. With Herbert behind center, Oregon is moving at a faster pace and throwing downfield more than when Dakota Prukop was running the offense. In three starts, Herbert already has more completions of 25 yards or more in three games than Prukop did in five.

Brown will be one of the main beneficiaries of the Ducks’ rejuvenated air attack, and if Saturday’s performance was any indicator, he could be Herbert’s most dangerous deep threat for years to come.

Follow Jarrid Denney on Twitter @jarrid_denney

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