New year, new number for Oregon football's Dickey

Bizarre numbers on college football players isn't an abnormality.

NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin wore the No. 47 across his back and chest during his years at Miami. Former Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson started his college career with the No. 20 at Ole Miss. Keeping up with quarterbacks, current Ohio State signal caller Devin Brown wears No. 33. Defensive lineman across the nation range anywhere from No. 1 to 99.

But wide receiver Jurion Dickey almost feels like an outlier amongst outliers after beginning his Oregon career with No. 99 on his back. Offensive players wearing numbers in that range is very rare, especially when they're a former five-star recruit who was the No. 2 player at his position coming out of high school.

But for Dickey, it was a self-imposed decision to wear the odd number. Now, he's checked the boxes he set before himself to reclaim his high school jersey number of 13.

"I set a standard," Dickey said about the number swap. "I had to loose a certain amount of weight. I had to be able to (lift) a certain amount of weight. I had to get my grades up to a certain GPA for me to obtain 13. To me, 13 was a challenge. I could only get it if I beat my challenge."

Dickey went on to say his weight is now comfortably in the realm of 200 to 205 pounds after coming to campus at 225, that he's using 110 pound dumbbells for workouts like curls and that his grades are in the right spot.

At a listed 6-foot-3, the receiver may just be one of the pound-for-pound strongest players on the team. And after a quiet freshman campaign that saw him record just one catch for seven yards, the now-redshirt freshman will look to make 2024 a breakout season despite some setbacks. Dickey mildly sprained his ankle in the spring game and has been limited in player-run practices, but said his condition is improving.

Regardless of health of passed production, the changed jersey number and conversations with Will Stein indicate that Dickey is prepared to blossom into his former five-star recruit status.

"(Dickey) gets lined up like that, he runs his route, and now he looks like the player we all anticipated he would look like," Stein said of Dickey in March ahead of the spring game. "He's in shape, and he's healthy. I love that kid, he has worked his tail off to get in good shape to go out and produce for us. The sky's the limit for (Dickey)."

Pending a clean bill of health, Dickey and the rest of the Oregon Ducks will be rolling into fall camp beginning on Wednesday, July 31, with their first game of the season against FCS power Idaho slated for August 31 at Autzen Stadium.