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Oregon Football: Recent RB transfer mean more Byron Cardwell in 2022

By Connor Muldowney

Nov 13, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Byron Cardwell (21) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2021; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks running back Byron Cardwell (21) runs the ball for a touchdown during the second half against the Washington State Cougars at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports /
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A recent running back transfer should mean more Byron Cardwell for Oregon football in 2022. What could the backfield look like?

Oregon football lost a couple of talented young running backs to the transfer portal this week as four-stars Trey Benson and Sean Dollars.

Benson wasn’t overly surprising because he was going to take a backseat to a fellow freshman in the backfield next season but Dollars was a little surprising because he looked like he had a bright future and he only played minimally because of injuries.

In fact, Dollars missed the entire 2021 season due to an injury.

But these two transfers mean a couple of things for Oregon. One, it could mean that either Travis Dye or CJ Verdell — or both — plan on returning in 2022. And two, it could also mean that Byron Cardwell’s growth as a true freshman was enough to push them out because the future looks to be his in the backfield.

While I do believe the Ducks will get at least one of Verdell or Dye back, Cardwell is almost assuredly due for more carries and a healthier workload in 2022.

Next season could be the year of Cardwell for Oregon football

If Verdell returns, which I think would be wise for him to do, he would probably be on a carry limit to start the season because of that injury he suffered in 2021. That would mean that Cardwell would get the bulk of the carries early on.

We saw flashes of brilliance from Cardwell this past season as he rushed for 417 yards and three touchdowns but he only totaled 61 carries. He averaged an impressive 6.8 yards per touch.

If that continues behind a solid offensive line in 2022 and his carries double or even triple, we could be talking about him as an All-Pac-12 running back and the Ducks’ next 1,000-yard rusher.

It seems like an inevitability at this point with Dollars and Benson leaving.

Buckle up, Duck fans, 2022 is going to be the year of Cardwell so you better jump on the bandwagon now before it’s too late.

Note: Sean Dollars has since withdrawn his name from the portal and announced his return to Oregon in 2022.

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