With quarterback Justin Herbert’s decision to stay for his senior season, the ceiling for Oregon football in 2019 is sky-high.
Oregon isn’t necessarily in the position it’s supposed to be in. After reaching the College Football Playoff in 2014, the Ducks took a downturn. Mark Helfrich’s team went 9-4 in 2015 and then 4-8 in 2016, after which he would lose his job.
In the short time since then, Oregon is already on its second coach in the post-Helfrich era. Yet somehow, the Ducks are coming off of a 2018 season in which they won nine games.
Justin Herbert, who would have likely been the first quarterback taken in the NFL draft, elected to return for his senior season. Both units return a ton of experience, and head coach Mario Cristobal has recruited great young talent, namely Kayvon Thibodeaux, the freshman defensive end who is the highest rated recruit in Duck history.
It’s even more exciting to couple this with the weakness of the Pac-12. Only a few roadblocks stand in the way of a special season in Eugene. There’s certainly a few real challenges on the schedule, but every game on the Duck schedule is very winnable.
It’s an exciting time in Eugene, and there are high hopes for this Duck team.