5 things to know about Oregon Ducks' new TE Andrew Olesh

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The transfer portal comings and goings are in full swing, and while the Oregon Ducks have lost a handful of players, they are getting a bunch of major keys back for next year, and added a big-time transfer on Sunday afternoon.

True freshman tight end Andrew Olesh, standing at 6-foot-5 and 236 pounds, who spent a year at Penn State, has decided to move across the country and play next season as a Duck. His size and skills seem like a perfect fit for Oregon, which is known for throwing the ball down the field to tight ends. Olesh was one of the top tight ends in the 2025 class.

Here are five things to know about Oregon’s newest tight end.

Former 5-Star Player

Olesh was among the top players in the nation coming out of Southern Lehigh High School, rated by On3 as the No. 1 TE in the nation, and the No. 29 overall player.

As a senior, Olesh helped his team to a 12-3 record and tallied 75 receptions for 1,105 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 166 rushing yards. As a junior, he notched 53 catches for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Oregon Familiarity

Coming out of high school, the Ducks heavily recruited Olesh out of Pennsylvania, and were among the TE’s top schools before Penn State was ultimately the decision. When he was deciding where to go to college, it came down to Florida, Michigan, Notre Dame and Oregon before deciding to stay close to home at Penn State.

Reasons for Leaving Penn State

Everyone knows that things didn’t go as planned for Penn State in 2025, as they fired James Franklin in the middle of the season after losing to Oregon in overtime and then suffering an embarrassing loss to UCLA the week after. Although the Nittany Lions played a little better under interim coach Terry Smith, the writing was on the wall that Penn State was doing a complete overhaul of its program, bringing in Iowa State coach Matt Campbell.

Olesh might not have fit in those plans for whatever reason. That and the fact he didn’t see the field once in 2025 might have led to Olesh’s decision to move on and ultimately become a Duck.

The TE Dominoes to Fall

Oregon hitting the portal for a tight end might mean they’ll be losing one or even two tight ends off the current roster. Not long after the commitment from Olesh, freshman TE Vander Ploog announced his transfer, and more might follow. Kenyon Sadiq is expected to enter the NFL draft, but he was non-committal after the Peach Bowl. Sadiq left the door wide open for a return, however.

The Ducks also have Jamari Johnson on the roster, who made play after play in the second half of the season and would definitely be TE1 in 2026, assuming Sadiq moves on. But Johnson could also declare for the NFL draft as well.

That tight end depth chart could suddenly take a big hit, but having Olesh ready is a big-time help.

The TE Room in 2026 is Strong

Assuming that Oregon enters the 2026 season with Jamari Johnson, Andrew Olesh, Kendre Harrison, and Roger Saleapaga, it’s not hard to say that they will have one of, if not the best, TE rooms in the nation. Even if Saleapaga chooses to transfer, which would be understandable as he desires a bigger role elsewhere, Oregon’s TE room would still rank among the best in the nation.

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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Get to know Oregon Ducks new TE transfer Andrew Olesh

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