Oregon football enters the first year of the Willie Taggart era loaded with plenty of talent. Here is the projected two-deep depth chart for the 2017 Ducks.
Oregon is still just three years removed from Marcus Mariota’s Heisman trophy and a spot in the inaugural College Football Playoff championship game. But the Ducks parted ways with Mark Helfrich following a 4-8 season last year. The continuity that began with Rich Brooks and a succession of Oregon offensive coordinators turned head coaches ended with Helfrich’s firing.
The Ducks thus enter a new era begins in 2017, as Willie Taggart takes over in Eugene. He inherits a roster that is far better on paper than last year’s record indicates. 2016 brought a slew of injuries, leading the team to depend on youngsters at several key positions.
Those trials and tribulations, though, should make the Ducks stronger in the upcoming season. If Oregon suffers fewer injury woes, they could return to contention in the Pac-12 North.
That is, of course, always a big if to consider. But at the very least, the Autzen faithful should get to see a much deeper team than they encountered last season. Click ahead to see our projected two-deep at every position for the Ducks.
Defensive Line
Starting tackle: Scott Pagano
Backups: Jordon Scott
The defensive tackle spot both improved and regressed this season. The unit is shifting back from a 4-3 to a 3-4 or even a 3-3-5 defense as the base defense under Jim Leavitt. That means players will have to adjust back from what they’ve learned under Brady Hoke. But Leavitt and Willie Taggart pulled off a coup when they landed Clemson transfer Scott Pagano to step in for their critical first season of the transition.
Pagano, though, lost a pair of key backups behind him. First, incoming freshman Rutger Reitmaier decided to leave the program in mid-June after suiting up in Ducks gear for the first time in spring practices. Rex Manu then announced a day later he would not play in 2017 due to medical issues. That leaves Jordon Scott, another freshman, as Pagano’s presumptive backup at tackle.
Starting ends: Henry Mondeaux, Jalen Jelks
Backups: Drayton Carlberg, Elijah George
Henry Mondeaux has been a fixture on the Ducks defensive line since appearing in all 15 games as a freshman during the run to the College Football Playoff championship game against Ohio State in 2014. He has played in every game since, experiencing the transition from the 3-4 to the 4-3 and back again. Jalen Jelks will likely take the opposite side of the defensive line from Mondeaux, having slowly developed over the past two years.
Redshirt freshman Elijah George has overcome injuries to push Jelks, though he will likely be a backup on the depth chart. Drayton Carlberg should also see an increased role after winning the 2015 Scout Player of the Year award with the Ducks during his redshirt year. Last year he started against Nebraska and played in five contests.
Linebackers
Starting linebackers: Justin Holmes, Troy Dye, Jimmie Swain
Backups: Jonah Moi, A.J. Hotchkins, Danny Mattingly
Last year Troy Dye was forced to step up as the leader of the Oregon linebackers. He responded by leading the team with 91 tackles and 6.5 sacks. Despite being undersized at just 225 pounds, Dye has responded well to the transition from the outside to the inside of the second level. Exhibiting versatility and the ability to play at any of the three or four linebacker positions, Dye will be key to the success of Leavitt’s defense.
Oregon will provide multiple looks, but Dye will be central to both three- and four-man looks. Jimmie Swain and Justin Holmes look to have the upper hand on starting positions alongside Dye. Another key player is Jonah Moi, a redshirt senior who redshirted out of junior college after arriving in Eugene in 2015. He, A.J. Hotchkins, and Danny Mattingly will see the bulk of the opportunities coming off the bench.
Defensive Backs
Starting safeties: Brady Breeze, Brenden Schooler, Mattrell McGraw
Backups: Khalil Oliver, Juwaan Williams, Fotu Leiato
Oregon looks like it will return to its past glories under the new coaching staff in at least one way. Under Nick Aliotti, the Ducks defense often played five defensive backs. Players such as Jairus Byrd, T.J. Ward, and Patrick Chung excelled when allowed the freedom to read opponents from the defensive backfield. Jim Leavitt will look to return to five-back looks on a regular occasion after the Brady Hoke 4-3 experiment ended prematurely.
That should allow Brenden Schooler to emerge as an even bigger force. As a true freshman, Schooler started in 10 games last season and led the team with four interceptions. Alongside teammates such as Brady Breeze and Mattrell McGraw, who both impressed this spring, Schooler could evolve into one of the best safeties in the Pac-12.
Starting cornerbacks: Arrion Springs, Thomas Graham Jr.
Backups: Ugo Amadi, Tyree Robinson
Oregon’s passing defense suffered greatly in 2016 as young players adjusted to increased playing time. Seniors Arrion Springs and Tyree Robinson are the most veteran cornerbacks returning this season. But Leavitt and his staff might end up turning toward a younger face to start against Pac-12 passing attacks.
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That player is Thomas Graham Jr., the sixth-rated corner in the 2017 recruiting class. Graham chose the Ducks over every other Pac-12 school as well as national powerhouses like Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, and Oklahoma. He looked great in spring practices, though Ugo Amadi also performed strongly this spring. Both could potentially supplant their more veteran teammates.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Tyrell Crosby (LT), Calvin Throckmorton (RT)
Backups: Brady Aiello, Jacob Capra
Last year the Ducks suffered the loss of left tackle Tyrell Crosby in September. That forced players to mature faster than might have been desired. Now, however, the Ducks have a deeper rotation led by the return of Crosby for his senior year. At the other tackle spot, Calvin Throckmorton started all 12 games last season.
Neither should get too complacent, however. Redshirt freshman Jacob Capra looked impressive in spring ball, and Brady Aiello will also be in the mix for playing time. After last year’s thin unit suffered the injury bug, Oregon fans should find comfort in a much deeper group of tackles in 2017.
Starting center: Jake Hanson
Backup: Zach Okun
Like Throckmorton, Jake Hanson started in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman in 2016. Hanson received all-conference honorable mention at his position last season, and could be one of the best centers in the Pac-12 this year. He will be backed up by another redshirt sophomore, Zach Okun, who saw limited action behind Hanson last season.
Starting guards: Shane Lemieux (LG), Jake Pisarcik (RG)
Backups: Evan Voeller, Doug Brenner
Guard is most veteran part of the offensive line for the Ducks. Jake Pisarcik, Evan Voeller, and Doug Brenner are all redshirt seniors. Pisarcik can play at both guard posts, Voeller has experience at guard and tackle, and Brenner can play at all three interior spots. Yet it is Shane Lemieux, a redshirt sophomore who started all 12 games last year at left guard, who is probably the best of the bunch.
Receivers
Starting receivers: Charles Nelson, Dillon Mitchell, Alex Ofodile
Backups: Malik Lovette, Darrian McNeal, Jaylon Redd/Daewood Davis
After the dismissal of top receiver Darren Carrington following a DUII charge in June, the Ducks are reeling at receiver. Charles Nelson, the diminutive speedster, is the rare veteran presence on what is a rather green corps of pass catchers.
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The best bets to land starting roles alongside Nelson are Dillon Mitchell and Alex Ofodile. Between them, the two sophomores have three career catches for a combined 17 yards.
Freshman Darrian McNeal and redshirt sophomore Malik Lovette both impressed at the 2017 spring game. Lovette especially will push Ofodile for playing time on the outside. Both players will see plenty of playing time, with McNeal likely to get reps in the return game as well.
Starting tight end: Jacob Breeland
Backups: Cam McCormick
With the loss of Pharaoh Brown, Evan Baylis, and Johnny Mundt, the Ducks are thin at tight end. That opens the door for Jacob Breeland to take over the starting role. The redshirt sophomore saw spot duty last season behind the veteran trio. This year he is poised to become a much bigger part of the offense. Redshirt freshman Cam McCormick should also see plenty of playing time.
Running Backs
Starting running back: Royce Freeman
Backups: Tony Brooks-James/Taj Griffin
The biggest coup of the first offseason in Eugene for Willie Taggart might not have happened on the recruiting trail. Instead, their ability to convince tailback Royce Freeman to remain another year at Oregon was a critical gain for the offense.
Freeman was hampered by injuries last year, and will enter 2017 with question marks about his durability. He was inexplicably not named to the 2017 Doak Walker Award preseason watch list, most likely because he fell off the radar last year. Don’t sleep on Freeman, though, because when healthy he remains among the best running backs in the nation.
Backing up the senior is redshirt junior Tony Brooks-James. Last season, Brooks-James tied Freeman with nine touchdowns on the ground and averaged over 7.6 yards per carry. He provides a strong one-two punch with Freeman. Taj Griffin, who missed time last season to injuries, could either complement Brooks-James or even move to slot receiver.
Quarterbacks
Starting quarterback: Justin Herbert
Backup: Braxton Burmeister
Last season, Justin Herbert became the first true freshman to start at quarterback for Oregon since 1983. He supplanted FCS transfer Dakota Prukop by October, starting the last seven games of the season. Though he went just 2-5 as a freshman starting in the Pac-12, Herbert showed plenty of promise to boost Duck fans’ hopes.
Herbert tied the Ducks record with six touchdown passes in a single game against California. He ended the year having completed 63.5 percent of his passes for nearly 2000 yards. The local product born and raised in Eugene also threw for 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions on the season.
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It seems as though Herbert’s position as the starter is secure heading into 2017. Redshirt sophomore Travis Jonsen could begin the season backing up Herbert on the depth chart. But the smart money is on Braxton Burmeister, the highly-rated recruit that Taggart and his staff managed to flip from Arizona this winter, stepping up sooner rather than later.