Oregon's Jett Washington honors uncle Kobe Bryant with jersey number
· Yahoo Sports
The Oregon Ducks are ready to open the spring practice season, and part of that process is getting to know the new Ducks in the building. The Ducks brought in an exciting new crop of talent for this season, boasting another top-10 recruiting class in the country, per 247 Sports, and a host of transfers.
Some freshmen can go under the radar in their first season, but Jett Washington is hard to miss. The 6-foot-5 safety stands out because of his unique size and ability for the position, but also because of his connection to an NBA legend.
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Washington is the nephew of the late Kobe Bryant, who won five NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers. Washington's mother, Sharia Washington, was one of Bryant's sisters. In his first season with the Ducks, Washington is choosing to honor his uncle by wearing No. 24, which Bryant wore for the final 10 years of his career with the Lakers.
Oregon 5-star freshman Jett Washington will wear #24 with the Ducks, per his IG. The same number as his uncle, the late Kobe Bryant.
— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) March 12, 2026
That feels special. pic.twitter.com/1M6bv1hWaC
Bryant tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2020, alongside his daughter Gianna and seven others.
The five-star freshman shared on his Instagram story Wednesday night a photo of his Oregon practice jersey, sporting No. 24 in bright yellow. Washington starred at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, as a senior and was ranked the top safety in the 2026 recruiting class before coming to Oregon. He chose the Ducks over Alabama and USC.
Spring ball is a time for new players to prove themselves, and Washington is no different. He possesses some physical traits that rarely come through the defensive back room, and as evidenced by last season, Dan Lanning is not afraid to play freshmen if they are ready. Bryant was famously drafted to the NBA out of high school and became a star for the Lakers at just 18 years old.
“He’s got the best height-weight-speed combination in all of high school football,” Oregon defensive coordinator Chris Hampton said during the program’s National Signing Day event. “This is obviously Kobe Bryant’s nephew. His dad was actually a running back who played in the NFL. Violent hitter. Great ball skills. Great basketball player. Great athlete. This guy has a big-time future. He’s a unicorn.”
At the same age, Washington is clearly hoping to follow in his uncle's footsteps and be part of something great in his first season as a Duck.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Jett Washington pays homage to uncle Kobe Bryant with jersey number