Oregon Football: De’Anthony Thomas and Marcus Mariota make list of ESPN’s 2013 Breakout Players

Apr, 27, 2013; Eugene, OR, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) before the spring game at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN Analyst Todd McShay has released his list, or ‘Top 32’  potential Breakout players of 2013 and to no surprise there are several Oregon Ducks on the list.

Here are the highlights from the article:

In total, there are 11 players. Here’s how he ranks the Pac-12 players in his top 32:

• No. 4 USC wide receiver Marqise Lee
• No. 5 UCLA linebacker Anthony Barr
• No. 17 Oregon cornerback Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
• N0. 26 Stanford guard David Yankey
• No. 29 Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey
• No. 32 Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas.

McShay also does a breakdown of Quarterbacks looking at the 10 Best Quarterback Prospects and there is a familiar name at #4 with Marcus Mariota.

On Mariota he says,

"Kelly was right: I did like Mariota from his first snap to his last in 2012, a season in which the Ducks won 12 of 13 games and were one bad half away from setting up the title game most of the country wanted to see. Wrapped up in those 12 victories was the country’s sixth-most efficient passer, who threw 32 touchdowns from just about every angle, platform and movement imaginable while completing slightly less than 70 percent of his overall throws. He added another 752 yards on the ground, running for more than seven yards a carry and five TDs."

ESPN’s Travis Haney also took a look at the best ‘Post Spring’ Players to Watch and Arik Armstead of Oregon made his list.

Haney said,

"The offense gets the bulk of the publicity in Eugene, but No. 3 overall pick Dion Jordan joins Haloti Ngata as Oregon D-linemen who have been early first-rounders. Is Armstead working toward that territory?Jordan included, Armstead was surrounded by talent a year ago, but he will need to make more of an imprint as a sophomore. He appears ready, having stayed in shape — maybe even tightened up a bit — by playing for the Sweet 16 hoops team. He stepped right off the hardwood and onto the spring football field."

The full article is on the ESPN Pac 12 Blog

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