Every player that's drafted into the NFL during the 2026 draft has a village of supporters, whether it be family members, mentors, trainers, coaches — you name it. Nobody excels at the college football level alone. For Oregon Ducks tight end Kenyon Sadiq, a sure-fire first-rounder on Thursday night, Ducks offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer is one of the most significant figures along his journey.
Mehringer has been key in Sadiq's development at Oregon, as Mehringer served as the tight ends coach for four seasons before recently being promoted to offensive coordinator. Known as an elite recruiter, Mehringer helped bring the four-star athlete to Eugene from Idaho Falls, ID. He helped Sadiq grow his game, from a young underclassmen trying to hurdle over every defender in sight to a refined route-runner and skillful blocker while still possessing his world-class athleticism.
When Sadiq hears his name called on Thursday night, realizing a lifelong dream of reaching the NFL, the former Ducks tight end and his family won't be the only ones feeling prideful. Mehringer will too.
"You paint a picture of what you anticipate their journey here looking like in recruiting and even when we got here," Mehringer told reporters on Monday. "It was, you know, Terrence Ferguson had already been here for a year. Patrick Herbert had been here for a few years, right? If you stay the course, It's like, those who stay will be champions, right? So for me, the culmination of that, (Kenyon) put in the work, I put in the work, and now we're getting to see the results at the beginning of a new chapter."
It's hard to imagine a better tight end room to walk into for Sadiq, who was mentored by both Herbert and Ferguson, two mature, veteran-like presences in the position room. But it was Mehringer who had arguably the biggest hand in helping both Sadiq and other tight ends stand out with the Ducks and eventually land spots in the NFL; Herbert for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ferguson for the Los Angeles Rams, and Sadiq with a team to be determined on Thursday night.
Mehringer continued, expressing the feeling of becoming a parent and watching his kids succeed, likening that to watching his players achieve victories and succeed as well.
"It just means so much more to you," he said. "I don't know why that is, but you care. And so for Kenyan to be where he's at, for Terrence to be where he's at, for Patrick Herbert, who went through all these things to be where they're at, I’ve felt like I delivered on my my promise. That is huge for me. That means the absolute world. ... I'm really excited, extremely humbled and super proud of of all those guys, and very excited for Kenyon and his next step.
"I’m unbelievably proud, humbled that guys, players like that have put their trust in me, and I've helped them deliver."
For Mehringer, he's simply doing his job of being a coach. And it's not just the coaching that seen on the field — it's getting to know the players on a personal level and cultivating strong relationships. From recruiter, to coach and now to supporter, count Mehringer into the many people rooting for Sadiq on Thursday night and looking forward to his journey ahead.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Kenyon Sadiq's draft night to bring immense pride to Drew Mehringer