Report: Former Oregon wide receiver Darren Carrington headed to Utah
After being dismissed by Oregon, Darren Carrington is reportedly headed to Utah to continue his college football career.
Willie Taggart made a statement as Oregon head coach earlier this month, dismissing wide receiver Darren Carrington after a DUI arrest on July 1. Carrington led the team in receiving yards last year with 606, while also tying for the team lead with five receiving touchdowns and finishing second on the team with 43 catches.
Last week Carrington was getting interest as a graduate transfer from multiple Pac-12 schools, and he visited Utah. Arizona was also floated specifically as a possible landing spot. So even with a short window to make a decision and get ready for the coming season, Carrington had some options available.
According to Michelle Bodkin of Ute Zone/Scout.com, the visit to Utah will bear fruit.
Received word last night Darren Carrington is officially a #Ute. Utah making big boy moves on offense this off-season on offense. #GoUtes 🙌🏽
— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) July 25, 2017
Out of respect was waiting for official announcement before breaking on Twitter. Was informed this morning no official announcement coming.
— Michelle Bodkin (@BodkinKSLsports) July 25, 2017
Carrington recently pled not guilty to his DUI charge, but he’s not without off-the-field baggage. He was ruled ineligible for Oregon’s College Football Playoff loss to Ohio State in January of 2015, with a citation for an open container and an accusation he broke a man’s arm since then.
Junior Raelon Singleton is Utah’s leading returning receiver from last year, with 27 receptions for 464 yards and four touchdowns. Beyond him is a lot of youth and a lack of depth at wide receiver, amid a major shift in offensive philosophy.
New offense coordinator Troy Taylor is coming from pass-happy Eastern Washington, where he was quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator last year. The Eagles set FCS records for passing yards and total offense in a season in 2016, with quarterback Gage Gubrud leading the way and wide receiver Cooper Kupp further cementing himself as an NFL prospect with 117 catches for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns.
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Carrington will help fill a significant void for Utah, and he’s clearly a major addition at this late stage. He should step right in as the No. 1 target for quarterback Troy Williams.