Replacing Marcus Mariota’s offensive production is no small task. In fact, this article isn’t even about quarterbacks yet his name is in the first line due to the tremendous amount of offensive success he had at Oregon. While next year’s quarterback will certainly be no Mariota, he will have a plethora of talent surrounding him to help him at least pretend to be as good as last year’s Heisman winner.
One key member of said plethora will be redshirt senior Bralon Addison. The speedy wide receiver didn’t play a snap in 2014 following a preseason ACL injury, but proved to be very talented in his previous two seasons and looked as healthy as ever in the 2015 spring game. Next season’s Ducks will feature a stacked wide receiving corps, and it is very likely that Addison ends up being the best of the bunch.
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Before his injury, Addison was arguably one of the most dynamic receivers in the country and certainly within the Pac-12. His 61 receptions during the 2013 season rank sixth all-time in school history and was the Ducks’ fifth-highest scorer that season. On top of his success on offense, Addison was also a stud on special teams and specifically as a punt returner. In 2013, he ranked 14
th
in the country in punt return average and tied a school record by returning two punts for touchdowns against Cal. It is unsure if Addison or Charles Nelson will return punts in 2015, but his previous success is just a testament to his supreme athleticism.
Bralon Addison was very good before his injury, but tearing an ACL can be devastating to the career of a young athlete. Even following a full recovery, it is very possible for a player to not be anywhere close to the one they were before getting hurt. No one will know just how Addison’s knee will hold until the regular season, but he looked very healthy in the Ducks’ 2015 spring game. Not only did he catch four passes for 50 yards and a touchdown, he even threw the ball three times for 71 yards and another touchdown and ran the ball once for two yards.
Regardless of if it ends up being Lockie, Adams, or another, the Ducks quarterback in 2015 will have big shoes to fill and is likely to end up facing a lot of pressure. However, much of this pressure can be relieved by taking the snap and getting the ball into the hands of Bralon Addison.