Oregon Football Recruiting: Offensive Keys to 2014 Class

Jan 3, 2013; Glendale, AZ, USA; General view of Oregon Ducks helmets during the 2013 Fiesta Bowl against the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon Football program has been relatively successful over the last few seasons thanks in part to solid recruiting classes. There was, of course, the whole Willie Lyles saga that went on for two years that ended up being a slap on the wrist for the program, but moving forward things look to be in good shape. With the bulk of returning players and the losses of several to the 2014 NFL Draft it appears as though the Oregon Football machine will continue moving forward. One key player on Defense is also returning in Ifo Ekpre-Olomu. There are some new faces in new positions for the 2014 season. The Ducks tapped long time assistant Don Pellum as their new Defensive Coordinator replacing the retired Nick Allioti. As far as the upcoming class I am not big on rankings and Oregon over the last few years has had the ace card up their sleeve in being able to pull off the last minute switch – it may happen again this year.

So, who do the Ducks have coming in? The one name you should know is Running Back Royce Freeman. He hails from Imperial, California and is ranked 52nd in the 2014 Rivals Top 100 list. He recently scored three touchdowns in the U.S. Army All American Bowl. Look for Freeman to be a player for the 2014 season. With the loss of De’Anthony Thomas he could pick up some solid carries this upcoming season along with Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall. His 6 foot 227 pound frame certainly won’t hurt.

Another area where Oregon will be looking for ‘assistance’ is at Wide Receiever. The Ducks lost Wideout Josh Huff, who is turning heads in anticipation of the Senior Bowl this weekend. There are plenty of names that could fill the spot could be incoming recruit Jalen Brown. At 6 foot 2 he has the height to pull down passes and could be a go to guy for 2014. Of course, there are some seasoned veterans at the position as well including Bralon Addison, who had a solid 2013 season. Chance Allen and Dwayne Stanford could also make a move for 2014. Oregon is good at knowing when a player is ready to take the field. In some cases it takes some time for a newcomer to get their feet wet in a new system.

As of  yesterday Oregon has five open scholarships for the incoming recruiting class. There are a lot of options as another round of decommitments ran across my cell phone this morning. The Ducks are in a prime position to pull off a Recruiting Day masterpiece for the 2014 class.