He looks like a ghost on the field. Not because he’s scary—though defensive coordinators in the Big Ten might disagree—but because you can barely see him until he’s already ten yards past the safety. If you’ve ever watched an Oregon game and wondered how that skinny kid in the #15 jersey just zig-zagged through a literal wall of 300-pound linemen, you aren't alone.
The conversation always starts with the same two numbers.
The Reality of Tez Johnson Height and Weight
When you look at the official 2024 Oregon Ducks roster, they list him at 5-10 and 165 pounds. It’s a respectable number for a slot receiver. It sounds sturdy enough. But anyone who has followed the draft process knows that "program height" and "program weight" are often closer to fan fiction than reality.
At the 2025 NFL Combine, the truth came out in cold, hard measurements.
Tez Johnson officially weighed in at 154 pounds. His height was verified at 5 feet, 9 and 7/8 inches.
Think about that for a second. In an NFL where cornerbacks are regularly 6-2 and look like they’re built out of granite, Tez is out there playing at the weight of a high school cross-country runner. He was literally the lightest player to participate in the 2025 Combine.
Why the 154-Pound Label is Misleading
You’d think a guy that small would get snapped in half. Honestly, it’s a valid concern. If a linebacker gets a clean shot on a 150-pound human, physics usually wins.
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But Tez doesn't get hit clean.
Basically, he’s built like a sports car with no extra cargo. Every ounce of that 154-pound frame is functional. He recorded a 37-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-11 broad jump. Those aren't just "good for his size" numbers—those are elite explosion metrics. His 3-cone drill, which measures lateral agility, clocked in at 6.65 seconds, placing him in the 93rd percentile of all wide receivers.
He’s not small; he’s streamlined.
The "Light in the Pants" Problem
Scouts used to call him "wiry" or "light in the pants." It’s a polite way of saying they were worried he’d disappear in press coverage. If a defender jams him at the line of scrimmage, can he even move?
The tape says yes.
While at Oregon and Troy, Johnson developed a "foot-fire" release that basically makes him impossible to touch. He uses what he calls "basketball on turf" moves—crossovers that leave defenders reaching at air. You can’t jam what you can't catch.
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Interestingly, even his adopted brother, Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix, has joked about the size discrepancy. They grew up together in Pinson, Alabama, after the Nix family took Tez in during high school. While Bo was the blue-chip prospect with the NFL-ready frame, Tez was the "scrappy" one who had to prove that a 150-pounder could dominate the SEC-lite Sun Belt and eventually the Big Ten.
Success in the NFL (The Tampa Bay Proof)
People doubted the measurements. Then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took him in the 7th round (235th overall) of the 2025 draft.
Everyone expected him to be a practice squad body. Instead, he started producing immediately. By Week 6 of the 2025 season, he caught a 45-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield against the 49ers. Baker even joked after the game that if Tez weighed any less, he "might actually fly."
He currently sits at about 165 pounds on the Bucs' active roster, having put on about 10 pounds of "NFL muscle" since that Combine weigh-in. It’s a delicate balance. If he gains too much weight, he loses the twitchiness that makes him a nightmare in the slot.
A Quick Breakdown of the Real Specs:
- NFL Combine Weight: 154 lbs
- Current Pro Weight: ~165 lbs
- Verified Height: 5'9 7/8"
- Arm Length: 29 3/8" (This is short, which is why he has a small "catch radius")
- Hand Size: 9" (Solid for his frame)
How He Uses His Size to His Advantage
It sounds counterintuitive, but being small is actually his superpower. Because his center of gravity is so low, he can stop and start faster than a taller receiver.
If a 6-3 receiver tries to run a whip route, it takes them three or four steps to decelerate. Tez can do it in one. He sinks his hips, plants his foot, and he's gone.
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He also uses his "thinness" to disappear into zones. He finds these tiny cracks in the defense that a larger player simply couldn't fit into. He’s essentially a "volume" receiver who survives on being smarter and faster than the guys trying to tackle him.
What This Means for Future Players
The success of guys like Tez Johnson, and before him Tank Dell or Tutu Atwell, is changing how we look at "prototypical" size.
We used to think you needed to be 200 pounds to survive a 17-game season. Tez proves that if your agility is high enough and your hands are reliable (he broke Oregon’s single-season reception record with 86 catches), the scale doesn't matter as much as the scoreboard.
If you are looking to emulate his style, don't focus on bulking up until you lose your speed. Focus on the "twitch."
Practical Steps for Undersized Athletes:
- Master the Release: If you're 155 pounds, you cannot let a DB get hands on you. Spend 80% of your time on line-of-scrimmage footwork.
- Low Center of Gravity: Work on "sinking" your hips in breaks. The lower you are, the faster you can change direction.
- Be a Specialist: Tez became an elite punt returner. If you're small, you have to be the best "space" player on the team.
- Reliability: At 154 pounds, you can't afford to drop balls. Tez treats every target like it's his last because, in the eyes of scouts, it might be.
The 154-pound kid from Alabama isn't just a "feel-good story" anymore. He's a legitimate NFL weapon who proved that 5-foot-9 is plenty tall when you’re standing in the end zone.