College football season continues to inch closer as we're nearly a month away from fall camps starting around the country. The excitement for the Oregon Ducks is sky high coming off back-to-back trips to the College Football Playoff. While the prior two teams have been incredible, this may be the most talented team the Ducks have had under Dan Lanning.
Bringing back the trio of Dante Moore, Matayo Uiagalelei, and A'Mauri Washington gives the Ducks three 1st round caliber players leading the team. Dan Lanning's recruiting prowess has given this team elite talent at every position to help fill some of the holes the team may have. The only question heading into the fall may be who ends up emerging as the replacement in some of the Ducks' outstanding holes.
The 5 biggest battles to follow in Oregon's fall camp
Wide Receiver
The issue for the Oregon Ducks at wide receiver won't be finding enough good players for the positions, but finding playing time for such a loaded room. Ross Douglas has built a loaded wide receiver room, and as Dante Moore looks to post a Heisman level season, he'll have a wide variety of targets.
Jeremiah McClellan is the Ducks leading returning wide receiver, and with his level of talent, he'll likely serve as an every down player. Dakorien Moore returns as well after posting 34 catches for 497 yards and 3 touchdowns as a true freshman while dealing with injuries.
Evan Stewart's return isn't getting nearly enough credit, as the last time he was on the field for the Ducks, he looked like a potential 1st round pick. Coming off such a serious knee injury, there will be concerns over if he can return to form, but in the Ducks' Spring Game, Stewart looked ready to return to tormenting opposing defenses.
Then the Ducks have a ton of fresh faces ready to make an impact, starting with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks, who was incredibly productive for the Blazers. Jalen Lott and Gatlin Bair arrive at Oregon as 5-star recruits who will be more than capable of making an immediate impact on the offense. True Freshman Messiah Hampton looked the most ready to contribute with an impressive showing in the Spring.
The wide receiver room is truly a good problem for the Ducks as they have an overwhelming amount of talent at the position. Early in the season, Ross Douglas will likely get a ton of players experience which could end up being beneficial in the long run keeping everyone fresh for what everyone hopes will be a deep Playoff run.
Linebacker
The big concern on defense will be piecing together the linebacker position as the Ducks don't return a ton of experience. Jerry Mixon appears to be locked into the Money LB role after starting 13 games for the Ducks last season. Teitum Tuioti fills the JACK linebacker role, but the key will be finding the player to play next to Mixon.
Devon Jackson appears to be the frontrunner for the role, but it's also not certain that he will be the starter. If Jackson can't step up and secure the role, it'll be a concern for the Ducks, as the 3 pieces (Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, and Gavin Nix) in contention all lack experience, with fewer than 50 career snaps.
Offensive Tackle
The Oregon Ducks have one of the toughest challenges this offseason as they'll need to replace both offensive tackles. The good news for the Ducks is that there are options on the roster, but losing out on a transfer like Jordan Seaton, who picked LSU over Oregon, does mean there aren't any clear plug and play players.
The likely duo will be returnee Fox Crader, who played well last season and in the Spring Game, and transfer Michael Bennett III. Right Tackle remains the biggest question, as Bennett and Zac Stascausky didn't look great in pass protection during the Spring Game.
The ultimate wild card gets dropped into the battle when Fall camp begins, as Offensive Tackle Immanuel Iheanacho is now enrolled. The 5-star recruit fits the elite athletic profile of a player who could start as a true freshman, and if he's close in the battle, it may make the most sense just to get him the experience on the field.
Backup Quarterback
The obvious hope for all Oregon fans is that the Ducks will never need to worry about who's the true backup quarterback to Dante Moore. At the end of the day, the Ducks will certainly deploy another quarterback in mop up duty which means the battle for the backup role will have to come to a head at some point.
When Oregon followed the Dante Moore path by adding former Nebraska star Dylan Raiola, it seemed like they had their clear backup. The Ducks instead have another good problem, as Brock Thomas has made it a competition. It'll likely make the most sense to deploy Thomas more, along with a player like Akili Smith Jr to preserve Raiola's redshirt, but if Moore misses any time, the backup picture becomes far more interesting.
Safety
Dillon Thieneman is off to the NFL, and while Oregon returns a starter in Aaron Flowers, the picture isn't that clear. Koi Perich comes to Eugene from Minnesota where he looked like one of the best safeties in the Country at times. Perich will certainly start for the Ducks, but it may not be as simple as pairing him with Aaron Flowers.
The Ducks have done an incredible job recruiting safeties, and there's a chance a better option emerges. Three truly elite recruits- Trey McNutt, Jett Washington, and Devin Jackson all have incredible ability, and if Aaron Flowers hasn't improved in coverage, one of the underclassmen could end up stealing the job.
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