Utah Football: Former Oregon WR Darren Carrington II picks Utes

Darren Carrington was dismissed by Oregon after a DUII arrest in mid-July. He has transferred to Utah and is eligible to play for the Utes immediately.

Three years ago, Darren Carrington was a breakout star for the Oregon Ducks. Against Arizona in the Pac-12 championship game, Carrington posted seven catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. A few weeks later in the Rose Bowl against Florida State, Carrington had an even bigger game with two touchdowns and 165 receiving yards.

But Carrington did not play in the College Football Playoff championship against Ohio State. Instead, he was sidelined by a positive NCAA-administered drug test. Oregon entered the CFP final with a depleted receiving corps as a result of the suspension.

That positive test meant that the receiver was forced to sit out the first six games of 2015 as well.

When he returned, Carrington came back strong. He racked up over 600 receiving yards in just seven games. With only half a season under his belt, Carrington finished second on the team in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Back full time in 2016, Carrington was also part of the Ducks’ demise from the top of the Pac-12 standings. Last year brought few bright moments for Oregon, and head coach Mark Helfrich was fired after the season.

One of those few bright spots involved the redshirt junior at receiver. Late in the penultimate game of the season, against Utah in Salt Lake City, Carrington caught the game winner in the final seconds. The backbreaking play, one of Carrington’s five scores he hauled in during 2016, gave Oregon a rare victory.

Entering his senior year, the veteran receiver with the troubled past looked like he would become a featured part of new coach Willie Taggart’s offense. Then Carrington was arrested for a DUII, and within a few weeks he had been cut free by the Ducks.

So what prompted Carrington to head to Utah?

Because he already finished his undergraduate studies in Eugene, Carrington is immediately eligible to play for any FBS team. Given his physical tools, it is no surprise that several Pac-12 schools reached out to see if the talented if troubled receiver would be interested in coming to their programs.

A year after helping kill Utah’s chances at playing for the Pac-12 title, Carrington now heads to Salt Lake City to suit up for the Utes. Kyle Whittingham has never been shy about extending a second chance to talented players, and the relationship should prove mutually beneficial.

Carrington, after pleading not guilty to his DUII charges, will join a Utes team that was on the cusp of playing for the Pac-12 title last season. The Utes have immediate openings at receiver, and with Joe Williams gone at tailback Utah might take to the air even more in 2017. Carrington joins a group of receivers that also includes touted junior-college transfer Josh Nurse.