Oregon Ducks position battles to watch for in 2024 fall camp

Players to watch: Gary Bryant Jr. // Kyler Kasper // Jurrion Dickey // Justius Lowe

Analysis: After the spring, it seems like there’s almost a consensus that the top three spots in Oregon’s wide receiver room are locked in. With Tez Johnson, Traeshon Holden and Evan Stewart, the Ducks have one of the most talented WR corps in the country. But who’s going to step up and become the next man in that rotation?

Veteran tackle Gary Bryant Jr. is favored, but we’ve also been waiting for breakouts from Kyler Kasper and Jurrion Dickey over the past two years. And then there’s Justius Lowe, who keeps stepping up when given the chance and is expected to be fully healthy through 2024.

Dillon Gabriel will have a lot of mouths to feed, but one of these players can certainly figure into the offense this year.

Players to watch: Noah Whittington // Jay Harris

Analysis: Like the WR position, the starter at RB seems pretty much set in stone with Jordan James, who is expected to be one of the best backs in the country this year. But who will step into the RB2 role behind him? The conventional wisdom is that it’s Noah Whittington, who was a terrific runner next to Bucky Irving but is recovering from a torn ACL in Week 4 against Colorado a year ago.

Then you have former Northwest Missouri State running back Jay Harris, who turned heads this spring for his combination of size and speed. It remains to be seen what he can do against Power 4 levels of competition, but based on the sample size we have so far, expectations are high.

I think James will get about 60% of the workload this year, with the other two fighting it out to see who’s next on the field. My gut feeling is Whittington will be the man, with Harris coming in as a change-of-pace type back who can dominate with his physicality.

Analysis: With the addition of former Washington cornerback Jabbar Muhammad, there’s little doubt as to who Oregon’s CB1 will be this year. But there are questions behind him. There shouldn’t be any questions about the Ducks’ talent level at the CB position, but rather about which guy will be on the field next to Muhammad and be the mainstay.

Right now I’m looking at UTSA transfer Kam Alexander and Jahlil Florence. While Florence missed spring ball due to midseason surgery, we know he has the talent to play a big role in this defense. Will he be healthy enough to secure the starting spot, or will Alexander come in and grab him?

Players to watch: Patrick Herbert // Kenyon Sadiq

Analysis: Terrance Ferguson flirted with a move to the NFL this offseason, but decided to return to Eugene for another try. He should be one of the best TEs in the country this year, and one of the Ducks’ best offensive players. There’s little doubt about his place on the depth chart, but I’m curious to see if second-year Kenyon Sadiq can step up and fill in for veteran Patrick Herbert.

The reality is that both players will likely see significant playing time, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some attacking sets designed specifically for Sadiq and his unique athleticism and skillset.

Analysis: This is a classic case of the late transfer trying to step up and his ability to potentially replace the incumbent. Keyon Ware-Hudson is one of the longest-tenured players on Oregon’s roster, and with the personnel shakeup on the defensive line this offseason, he could play a big role going forward. However, the Ducks also brought in Jamaree Caldwell (Houston) and Derrick Harmon (Michigan State) to contribute as well.

Caldwell will likely be the nose tackler, while Harmon — who transferred after the spring league — and Ware-Hudson will battle for the starting DT spot.

Analysis: Similar to the defensive tackle battle between Keyon Ware-Hudson and Derrick Harmon, you have a similar case of newby vs. incumbent playing out at the nickel position. Brandon Johnson comes over from Duke where he had a lot of success in the nickel last season, and while Nikko Reed was solid last year, his production at the position could improve going forward. It remains to be seen how quickly Johnson can get up to speed.

Players to watch: Dontae Manning // Sione Laulea // Rodrick Pleasant // Dakoda Fields // Daylen Austin

Analysis: If the top three CB positions are filled by Jabbar Muhammad, Jahlil Florence, and Kam Alexander, the question remains who will get a rotation spot behind them. In the past, it has been Dontae Manning who has filled that role, but I am intrigued by what we have seen from Sione Laulea in spring ball so far. You also have Rodrick Pleasant poised for a big sophomore season, and Dakoda Fields coming off a strong spring as a true freshman.

I also mentioned Daylen Austin because if he is on the team and playing, he deserves to be in the conversation. At this point, his off-field legal issues are still unresolved, but he remains on the Oregon roster online.

Analysis: Nishad Strother was a late signing for the 2023 season, and an injury derailed the start of his season and forced him to sit out part of the year. Now that he’s healthy, can he win the starting RG job, or will it be Indiana transfer Matthew Bedford who comes over and takes the starting job as a new transfer? I expect the latter to be the case, but it will be interesting to see how things go in fall camp.

Analysis: No one is taking the starting spot of Jeffrey Bassa or Jestin Jacobs, but figuring out the rotation pieces behind them will be interesting. I’m going to focus on Devon Jackson and Jerry Mixon, a couple of young players who have shown flashes of being really impressive so far, but need more space to show what they can really do.

Analysis: The Oregon State transfer appears to have a leg up in the kicking competition after this spring, but we’ve seen redshirt freshman Grant Meadors be very solid in limited action. I think this is his job to lose because of Atticus Sappington’s experience and past production, but I want to keep an open mind and see how much Meadors can push for the top job in fall camp.

Analysis: I put this last for a reason. It feels kind of silly to say that the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy is in a position competition, right? In all likelihood, Dillon Gabriel will win the starting job in Eugene this year, but I’m still very intrigued by what Dante Moore has to offer and I’m looking forward to seeing how he develops this fall and what he can do for the Ducks if he gets the keys going forward.