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A freaky athlete who can both outrun and outmuscle NFL defenders. A one-year starter at Oregon, Sadiq lined up across the formation but operated mostly out of the slot (58. 5 percent of snaps) and inline (27. 7 percent) in former offensive coordinator Will Stein’s balanced spread scheme. After backing up Terrance Ferguson for two seasons, Sadiq had his breakout in 2025, becoming the first player in Oregon history to win Big Ten Tight End of the Year honors. Despite sharing targets with talented fellow tight end Jamari Johnson, Sadiq led the Ducks with 51 catches, a program record for tight ends, and paced all FBS tight ends with eight touchdown grabs. A “Freaks List” alum who backed it up at the NFL combine, Sadiq is a brawny athlete with a unique combination of explosiveness and play strength. He brings both short-area quickness and long speed to the position and can outpace coverage and win at all three levels. Although he needs to clean up the easy drops, he plays strong to the football and has put numerous high-difficulty grabs (some of which required wild adjustments) on tape. As a blocker, he needs continued technique work but competes with outstanding physicality to latch, drive and win his assignment. Sadiq has mismatch-creating potential in the NFL, because of his ability to out-quick and out-tough defenders as both a pass catcher and blocker. He projects as a versatile, Vernon Davis-like weapon and has his best football ahead of him. Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Note: Combine:  Limited workout (choice). Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Kenyon (ken-yen) Sadiq (suh-DEEK) grew up in the small town of Mc Cammon, Idaho (population: 825), with his mother (Heather Pledger). Sadiq has an older sister (Daisha) and younger brother (Mekhi). His grandfather (Terry Pledger) was a Bannock County sheriff and served as a father figure in Sadiq’s life. Sadiq was introduced to football at age 6 by his grandfather, and he competed in flag football before later playing tackle football. Throughout youth levels and at Marsh Valley Middle School, Sadiq lined up primarily as a running back in a wing-T offense. In seventh grade, he helped his team win the championship at nationals in Las Vegas. Sadiq was also an avid fisherman throughout childhood (and still is).   His grandfather unexpectedly died in January 2024, just a few weeks after Sadiq scored his first collegiate touchdown at Oregon. His grandmother (Alaina Pledger), who was diagnosed with breast cancer when Sadiq was in middle school, died in January 2026, shortly after Sadiq’s final game at Oregon.   Sadiq started training with RARE Academy in Boise, Idaho, in high school. He originally attended Marsh Valley High School (enrollment of 300) and became a starting running back and safety on varsity as a freshman, helping the program reach the 2019 3A state playoffs. For better exposure and competition, the family moved 75 miles north to Idaho Falls, and Sadiq transferred to Skyline High School (enrollment of 1, 300). After playing primarily running back in run-heavy offenses, he transitioned to wide receiver in a more pass-focused offense at his new school. Sadiq started on the JV squad as a sophomore before moving up to varsity, where he became a starter by the end of the 2020 season. As a junior wide receiver and defensive back, he caught 78 passes for 1, 162 yards and 19 touchdowns and was named 2021 Class 4A All-Idaho Player of the Year. As a senior, Sadiq led Skyline to a 10-win season and the 2022 Class 4A state championship — the program’s third straight state title. He finished his final season with 62 receptions for 1, 303 yards (21. 0 average) and seven touchdowns, while adding 233 rushing yards, two interceptions and one kick return touchdown. Sadiq was named 2022 Idaho High School Football Player of the Year and earned an invitation to the All-American Bowl.   He also played basketball at Skyline and won several district championships as a track athlete, posting personal bests of 11. 04 seconds in the 100-meter dash, 24. 32 in the 200 and 6 feet in the high jump. After the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued his education through i Succeed Virtual Schools, which gave him more time for training. A four-star recruit, Sadiq was the fourth-ranked athlete in the 2023 class and the No. 1 recruit in Idaho. After transferring to Skyline, his recruitment took off — he became the highest-graded recruit in the state since Tommy Togiai. At 6 feet 3 and 220 pounds, he was viewed by some programs as a linebacker/safety, while others wanted to keep him as a wide receiver or flex tight end. Sadiq didn’t receive his first scholarship offers until after his junior season, when FCS programs Idaho and Idaho State offered in February 2022, followed by Montana State and Northern Arizona a month later. He picked up his first FBS offer (Iowa State) in March 2022, and then the offers started to pour in, including from Arizona, Boise State, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford, Texas, Utah, Washington and others. Sadiq had grown up watching the Ducks and announced his commitment to them (as a tight end) before the start of his senior season. He was the third-ranked recruit in head coach Dan Lanning’s 2023 class.   Sadiq is on pace to earn a degree in general social sciences in summer of 2026. After three seasons, he elected to skip his senior season and enter the NFL Draft. Advertisement Written by Dane Brugler; designed and produced by Junghye Kim, Thomas Oide and Yuriko Schumacher; illustrations by Mojo Wang; edited by Chris Burke and Skye Gould; art direction by Dan Goldfarb and Will Tullos; additional development by Elijah Soria, Laura Pelton, Matt Myers and Oliver Viehweger; additional production by Dan Goldfarb, Kelsea Petersen, Demetrius Robinson and Drew Jordan; additional editing by Ken Bradley, Adam Coleman, Alison Cotsonika, David De Chant, Jimmy Durkin, Gary Gramling, Adam Hirshfield, Cristina Ledra, Dave Niinemets, Mike Sansone, Dan Steinberg and Josiah Turner. Sources: Select data from footballreference. com and Pro Football Focus.