Projected Oregon Ducks depth chart ahead of spring football practice
Head coach Dan Lanning has brought a bounty of talent to Eugene. Where will the Ducks fall in the Oregon depth chart as they head toward spring practice?
By Sam Fariss
The Oregon Ducks will have new leading faces as they head into their 2024 season, not to mention they’ll also be in an entirely new conference as well.
As offensive and defensive stars hit the end of their eligibility and went on to the next big thing; the NFL or other, head coach Dan Lanning looks to fill some big shoes.
Before spring practice kickoffs in Eugene, the first practice has been set as March 14, let’s take a look at who we can expect to be in the Ducks’ depth chart.
Oregon's offensive lineup
Quarterback
- Starter: Dillon Gabriel
- Depth: Dante Moore, Luke Moga, Brock Thomas, Austin Novastad
Dillon Gabriel will be entering his fifth year of college football in 2024. With so much experience and a lot of wins under his belt, Gabriel will outshine Moore and earn the starting job this spring. Heading into this fall, Moore will be a great backup to reduce the reps Gabriel has to take in early games.
Running back
- Starter: Jordan James
- Depth: Noah Whittington, Ellis Bynum, Brison Cobbins, Jayden Limar, Kilohana Haasenritter,
Da'Jaun Riggs
The running back position has a boatload of depth for the Ducks but I expect James to run away (get it?) with the starting job. James was the second-string RB behind Bucky Irvinng in 2023 and had an incredible season. While Whittington can say the same, James is the more sound choice for RB1.
Wide receiver (Slot)
- Starter: Tez Johnson
- Depth: Jeremiah McClellan, Jack Ressler, Kyler Kasper, Micah Parsons
Johnson cemented his place as the starting slot receiver while catching dimes from his adoptive brother Bo Nix in 2023. One of the most improved players on the Duck depth chart last year, Johnson will surely have the starting job in 2024.
Wide receiver (X)
- Starter: Evan Stewart
- Depth: Jurrion Dickey, Gatlin Bair, Ryan Pellum, Andrew Walker
Evan Stewart is going to come into Eugene and take the wide receiver position by storm. A star at Texas A&M, Stewart's talent will translate perfectly to offensive coordinator Will Stein's style of play. With an experienced quarterback like Gabriel at the helm, Stewart will out play the less experienced players for the start WR-X job.
Wide receiver (Z)
- Starter: Traeshon Holden
- Depth: Gary Bryant Jr., Dillon Gresham, Preston Alford, Darrian Anderson
This is one of the positions that I'm less certain about and that's only due to how talented Holden and Bryant both are. With similar skill sets and builds, the two receivers have a battle ahead of them this spring. I think Holden will win the starting job simply due to his speed and strength.
Tight end
- Starter: Terrance Ferguson
- Depth: Patrick Herbert, Kade Caton, Kenyon Sadiq, Zach Grace, Kaden Ludwick, Peter Burke, Casey Kelly, Travis Brashear, Landen Shepard, Roger Saleapaga, A.J. Pugliano,
Another position stuffed to the gills with talented young players, Lanning has quite a few skilled athletes to pick from. However, Terrance Ferguson was TE1 in 2023 and I expect him to continue in that role during the 2024 season. Herbert is an incredibly talented TE2 and the rest of the roster has room for growth as they continue to mature.
Left Tackle
- Starter: Josh Conerly
- Depth: Jac’Qawn McRoy
This position is a toss up in my mind. While Conerly has a ton of experience playing in all 13 games as a freshman and appearing for more snaps as a sophomore, McRoy brings a ton of talent to the table. For spring practices and heading into the spring game, I think Conerly will win the starting job but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if McRoy makes a few starts during the 2024 season.
Right tackle
- Starter: Ajani Cornelius
- Depth: George Silva
One of Oregon's stars in 2023 was Ajani Cornelius. A part of one of the best offensive lines in the country last season, Cornelius will be a leader for the Ducks in the coming season. While Silva is no slouch at the RT position, Cornelius is bigger and quicker.
Left guard
- Starter: Marcus Harper
- Depth: Dave Iuli
Marcus Harper is a big, bad man. During the 2023 season, he weighed in at 325 pounds and played a significant amount of snaps as a sophomore for the Ducks. Heading into his junior season, I expect Harper to lockdown the starting LG position.
Right guard
- Starter: Matthew Bedford
- Depth: Nishad Strother
Matthew Bedford is coming to Eugene from the Indiana Hoosiers and will take over the Ducks' offensive line. At an astonishing 304 pounds, Bedford is a brick wall that defenses consistently struggle to bypass. I expect him to perform incredibly well this spring and eventually earn the starting job over Strother for the 2024 season.
Center
- Starter: Iapani Laloulu
- Depth: Charlie Pickard
Filling Jackson Powers-Johnson's shoes won't be an easy task to fulfill. Iapani Laloulu was selected to the 2023 Freshman All-Amercan team and was a mainstay at offensive guard for the Ducks last year. I think Lanning will scoot him over to center and he will be the main man of the Oregon offensive line in 2024.