Oregon coach Dan Lanning gives personnel updates now that Holiday Bowl is set

The Ducks will have their starting quarterback with them in San Diego later this month.

That's what Oregon football coach Dan Lanning said Sunday night during a press conference when asked specifically if Bo Nix was going to play against North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28.

"Yeah, Bo's a competitor," Lanning said. "He wants to get out there and play in this game for sure."

Nix's status for the postseason game has been a topic of concern for Oregon fans ever since the Ducks' regular season ended Nov. 26 in a loss to Oregon State.

The senior still has a season of eligibility remaining but he hasn't announced yet whether he'll test the NFL Draft waters or remain with the Ducks (9-3).

Nix, who was limited by an ankle injury in Oregon's last two games, ranks third in the NCAA this season in total touchdowns with 42 (27 passing, 14 rushing, 1 receiving), and is eighth in the NCAA in total yards with 3,928 (3,388 passing, 504 rushing, 36 receiving).

"There's not a lot of teams in the nation right now that get an opportunity to go play to get 10 wins," Lanning said. "... I think every one of our guys is anxious to get out there and do just that. You play for the love of the game. You play because you love football. You love to compete. And our guys want to get out there on the field and do that."

The Ducks did lose starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez for the bowl game when he announced on Sunday he was opting out to start preparing for the NFL Draft.

Gonzalez has been one of the top defensive backs in the nation this season and is projected to be a first-round selection.

"Christian has been elite in everything that he's done for our program," Lanning said. "He's worked really hard to earn everything that he's got, and I'm really proud of him. And I know that he wants to be out there compete with his brothers, but you know, sometimes those decisions had to be left to the family members and other people that are looking out for his interest. And that being said, Christian has done a ton for our program. We're certainly grateful for his contribution."

Lanning said he isn't expecting senior outside linebacker DJ Johnson to play in the Holiday Bowl, either.

"He’s a guy who has an opportunity to compete and move on to the NFL Draft and he's put himself in position to do that," Lanning said. "I think he’s going to go take a chance to go to the Senior Bowl, but I don’t want to speak for him too much, but I think right now he’s in preparation for the draft."

Johnson, who leads the Ducks in sacks with 6.0, was caught on camera getting into an altercation with an Oregon State fan on the field at Reser Stadium in the aftermath of the Ducks' 38-34 loss to the Beavers.

Lanning said Oregon did an investigation into the incident and determined, "DJ was in a moment there in which he certainly wishes he would’ve acted different, but something was said that was pretty extreme to him that some people might act in a similar fashion. I certainly don’t condone the behavior. I know DJ wishes he could have that moment back. It’s an intense situation, but those things happen at times and I know that he would handle it different if given the opportunity."

Other than the Ducks who have entered the transfer portal, Lanning said he doesn't expect any more players opting out of the Holiday Bowl.

"The landscape continues to change, but right now I don't anticipate any others," he said. "But that being said,  things can change and we'll be ready whoever's ready to go step on the field. We'll make sure we have 11 out there on the field ready to go compete."

Follow Chris Hansen on Twitter @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com.

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Up next

Oregon vs. North Carolina

5 p.m., Dec. 28 at Petco Park, San Diego

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Holiday Bowl updates: Will quarterback Bo Nix play for Oregon?