8/22/16 Emerald Media - Duck Season: Football

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Table of

Contents 21

FEATURE: QUARTERBACK BATTLE

10

EGON’S DEFENSE HENRY MONDEAUX: FACE OF OR

18

MOVING FORWARD FROM

THE ALAMO BOWL

27

2016 GAME PREVIE WS

9

10

FACE OF OREGON’S DEFENSE Fall camp is a time for Oregon football players to knock off the rust and get back into physical form in advance of the upcoming games. For junior defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux, it is his time to become the leader.

The Portland native was a fixture along the defensive line last season, but with DeForest Buckner departing to the NFL, Mondeaux now takes on a major role as a leader on defense. He is an experienced member of a defensive line that will require contributions from a lot of underclassmen.

“We need him to really anchor that defensive line,” head coach Mark Helfrich said. “He needs to be a high motor, consistent guy and he has been that with only one exception, which I called him out on the other day, and he immediately owned up to it — which is Henry.”

Last season, Mondeaux was the only underclassman in the starting rotation. He recorded 22 tackles, 6.5 for losses and four sacks.

Mondeaux played his best game in Oregon’s biggest victory of the season against Stanford, in which he posted a career-high five tackles.

For the upcoming season, he must not only improve those numbers, but grow as a leader.

“It is definitely something that I have to work on. I am not a very vocal leader,” Mondeaux told reporters at Oregon’s media day. “I kind of lead by example ... It is tough for me to speak out.”

Mondeaux’s leadership begins with urging his teammates to focus on the little tasks that get overlooked during the day. He works to provide structure and make players responsible for themselves.

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux (92) runs down field at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Adam Eberhardt) 11

Oregon Ducks defensive lineman Henry Mondeaux (92) sacks Washington Huskies quarterback Jake Browning (3) at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Adam Eberhardt)

“We stress holding guys accountable for the little things,” Mondeaux said. “Making your bed in the morning — coming early; they are easy to do but they’re also easy to forget. Small changes over time will turn into big changes.”

Mondeaux said he sometimes has trouble seeing himself as a leader. Former players like Marcus Mariota and Buckner were leaders when he was an underclassman, and in his mind, he is not in the same echelon as them.

He enters fall camp as the face of the defensive front and possibly the defense as a whole, with the potential for three new starting linebackers and no leader of the secondary emerging yet.

Other players look up to him.

“He’s a playmaker. He’s a very hard worker — one of the strongest guys in the weight room,” sophomore Canton Kaumatule said. “He’s a cool guy off the field so he just gets respect automatically from that, and everybody wants to flow towards him.”

Mondeaux’s responsibility as a leader has added weight this season: The Ducks are shifting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense under defensive coordinator Brady Hoke, so Mondeaux must help acclimate himself and others to the new scheme. In the 4-3, linemen and linebackers are responsible for covering only one gap, compared to the two gaps they are responsible for in a 3-4 system.

“A big part of [leadership] is holding the young guys accountable and making sure everyone is doing what they are supposed to do because of a new system,” Mondeaux said. “Everyone has to get used to it. Everyone feels like a freshman again.”

Mondeaux is excited about the new defense because he won’t have to read as much to determine the gap he needs to take, as he did in the two-gap system. This allows him to be more aggressive.

Mondeaux will most likely become a strong-side defensive end whose main priority will be to rush the passer and accumulate sacks. On running plays he will be responsible for setting the edge and forcing running backs toward other defensive linemen and linebackers, as well as grabbing tackles for loss.

Throughout fall training camp, Mondeaux has been learning the new system and his new role on the team. He is a player who will will lead Oregon’s defense — which allowed the most yards and points per game in the Pac-12 last season — into a new era.

-Jack Butler

12

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Oregon Ducks linebacker Rodney Hardrick (48) chases down Oregon State Beavers quarterback Seth Collins (4). (Adam Eberhardt)

Linebackers Oregon Ducks defensive back Arrion Springs (1) brings down USC quarterback Cody Kessler (6) at Autzen Stadium. (Adam Eberhardt)

While last year’s team struggled to stop

son. Senior Johnny Ragin III, junior Danny

anyone, there is reason for optimism

Mattingly, junior AJ Hotchkins and junior

looking ahead.

Jimmie Swain are a few who have a good shot at filling those positions. Ragin and

Following arguably the worst defensive

Swain both excelled in April and seem

Secondary

year in program history, then defensive

like the favorites to lock up the outside

coordinator Don Pellum was demoted to

linebacker spots — or the SAM and WILL

After being shredded by pass-happy

Robinson will make a full-time return to

linebackers coach, and former Michigan

spots in Hoke’s book.

Pac-12 offenses all last year, Oregon

safety this year, meaning that Springs,

head coach Brady Hoke was brought in

enters the 2016 season with a sense of

Seisay and Amadi will likely begin the

to take his role where he is now deploy-

Mattingly and Hotchkins is the battle to

consistency at the cornerback position

season as starters. With Robinson

ing a new 4-3 defensive scheme.

watch in August as they fight for the

that wasn’t there in 2015.

likely entrenched at one safety spot,

MIKE spot. Mattingly has experience; this

the other is still up for grabs. Redshirt

Despite the lackluster stats, Oregon did

is his third year playing in the Pac-12,

senior Reggie Daniels started 10 of the 11

have a talented core at the linebacker

but Hotchkins seemed to outshine him in

games he played last season and is the

position last year. Inside linebacker Joe

the spring.

ing experience prior to the year, and as

Ducks’ most experienced returnee in the

Walker went in the seventh round of the

a result, Oregon yielded the third most

secondary. Daniels will be in competition

NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles,

Hotchkins dominated in junior college

to retain his starting spot with junior Ju-

while Tyson Coleman and Christian

the past two years. He collected 99

waan Williams, who missed all but seven

French both got looks from other

tackles last season alone for Riverside

This year, Oregon will depend on almost

games last year after suffering an injury.

pro teams.

City College in Riverside, California en

the exact same nucleus of players to

Also in the mix for the second safety

The Ducks started three players at cornerback last year who had no start-

passing yards in the nation.

make the jump from mediocre to great as the Ducks are slated to face some of the top quarterbacks in the country. Arrion Springs, Chris Seisay and Ugo Amadi all return with a crucial year of experience under their belts and should be much more comfortable in the defense

route to being named one of the top

spot could be true-sophomores Khalil

Now those three are gone, and returning

JUCO inside linebackers in the country.

Oliver and Fotu Leiato. Leiato became a

linebacker Torrodney Prevot is shifting

However, the Pac-12 is a different beast

fan favorite on special teams last year

to the defensive line. With the departure

and while being able to go up against

due to his reckless, hard-hitting style of

of last year’s core and Hoke’s new

one of the best offenses in the country

play and could be in line for consistent

system, Pellum is essentially working

in practice is nice, time will tell how

playing time on defense this season if he

with a clean slate as he looks for next

Hotchkins fairs once the season actually

proves he is able to cover.

season’s starters.

begins. Hotchkins has the tools to take the starting role, but everything will boil

this season. When those three struggled last season, junior safety Tyree Robinson often shifted to corner and thrived at

-Jarrid Denney

Luckily for Pellum, Oregon returns a

down to what happens during preseason

number of key backups from last sea-

camp in August.

times. It sounds like the 6’4”, 205-pound

-Gus Morris

14

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DEFENSIVE LINE With the departure of second team All-American DeForest Buckner, Oregon defensive coordinator Brady Hoke will turn to a deep group of young players to step up on the defensive line as he implements a new 4-3 scheme.

With the shift in philosophy, Hoke hopes to create a frenetic Duck pass rush in order to reach opposing quarterbacks on a more consistent basis.

Junior defensive end Henry Mondeaux was the lone underclassman to crack the starting lineup on Oregon’s defensive front last season and finished with four sacks and 22 tackles. The Portland native emerged as a team leader during the spring and will likely be Oregon’s top pass rushing threat. At 6 feet 5 inches and 280 pounds, Mondeaux will start at strong-side defensive end.

Starting opposite Mondeaux at weak-side defensive end could be senior Torrodney Prevot. Prevot was inserted to Oregon’s starting lineup at outside linebacker for the final five games last season and will slot into Hoke’s 4-3 scheme as an edge-rusher.

Redshirt sophomore Justin Hollins sat out the entire 2015 season with an injury, and like Prevot, is shifting from outside linebacker to defensive end this year. Hollins led all Oregon players with eight tackles during the Ducks’ spring game and at 6’6”, 230 pounds, he possesses the prototypical build for an edge-rusher.

Junior Austin Maloata and sophomore Rex Manu will likely anchor the defensive tackle positions, and there will be few players with more game experience to to take their places.

Oregon defenders bring down Utah Utes quarterback Kendal Thompson (1) at Atuzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

(Adam Eberhardt)

Of Oregon’s nine interior linemen, six are underclassmen: The most promising of the bunch is Canton Kaumatule, a massive 6’7”, 295 pound sophomore nose tackle who garnered five star accolades before coming to Oregon. Kaumatule was ranked as the 15th overall prospect

by ESPN in the class 2015 and became the gem of Oregon’s recruiting class when he signed in November of 2014. Kaumatule was thrown into the fire for eight games last season as a true freshman and should benefit heavily this year from that crash course.

-Jarrid Denney

17

Moving It’s still one of the most talked about games of the 2015-16 college football season: Oregon versus TCU, two teams that had national championship aspirations, but entered the Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 with disappointing records and used the game as a springboard to the 2016-17 season.

“I’m not even sure what happened,” Oregon safety Tyree Robinson said when he reflects on the game. “Everything was going so well, and then, well, you know what happened. Everyone knows what happened.”

The Ducks entered halftime up 31-0 until an injury to quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. stagnated the offense while Robinson and his defense collapsed. The Horned Frogs roared back to win 47-41 in triple overtime.

Eight months later, the Ducks are still consistently pestered with the same old questions: “What happened? Do you have to prove yourself now? How do you move forward?”

Oregon running back Royce Freeman has had enough of these questions. He’s had to

18

Forward

relive the day nearly every time he’s spoken to the media since that game ended.

“No ... No need to prove anything — to anyone,” Freeman said.

When Robinson was asked how tired he is of the same old TCU questions, he said, “You would think people would have had something better to write about the last eight months, but oh well. It happened and now we move forward. We’re good as a team; we are ready to go.”

The Ducks know they can’t rewrite the past, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to affect them this upcoming season. Some players have chosen to forget about the game altogether, while others have watched the game to see what went wrong and ensure it won’t happen again.

“It’s individualized ... If you can learn from it and you’re one of those people that needs to put that picture in your locker or thing in your mirror to motivate you, then great — we had some guys like that,” head coach Mark Helfrich said. “If you need to watch the film one time to learn and then

never watch it again, then great. It’s come up here and there certainly, and guys have talked about it in the right way.”

Even with all the repetitive questions, the Ducks are doing their best to stay as focused as possible on the task at hand: the upcoming season. They can’t worry about the past when there is so much to focus on with the upcoming season, like unveiling an all-new 4-3 defense, developing a new group of linebackers and replacing former players like Tyler Johnstone, DeForest Buckner and Vernon Adams Jr. “We can’t wait for the season to start because that will allow everyone to move on,” Freeman said. “We’ve been moved on from it for a while, but [our first] game will let us talk about a different one for once over the last eight months.”

On Saturday, Sept. 3, the Ducks will finally be able to put to rest all of the questions regarding last season and the Alamo Bowl debacle when they host U.C. Davis to kick off the new season. Then they’ll be asked some new questions.

-Ryan Kostecka

Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman (21) escapes the tackle of TCU Horned Frogs safety Denzel Johnson (30) in the Valero Alamo Bowl at The Alamo Dome.

(Adam Eberhardt)

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JONSEN OR PRUKOP?

(Kaylee Domzalski)

WHO WILL LEAD THE DUCKS?

6-ft. 3 in.

194 pounds

TRAVIS

JONSEN

Servite High School in Anaheim, CA

3,361 passing yards (54.2% completion)

14 passing TDs in 2015 13 rushing TDs in 2015 Ranked as a 4-star recruit and the No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the class of 2015 by Rivals.com

Freshman quarterback Travis Jonsen sits at a table by himself and fields seemingly endless questions at Oregon’s media day on Aug. 8.

Does he see himself as a dual-threat quarterback? Is he completely healthy? If he were a Pokemon, which one would he be? Jonsen sheepishly smiles and answers all the above. He is admittedly shy about jumping into an open quarterback competition at one of the top college football programs in the nation.

Prukop, a two-star recruit who scratched and clawed his way to the Division I level, could prove to be another one-and-done superstar in the mould of Vernon Adams Jr.

“You gotta appreciate [the spotlight],” Jonsen said. “I was never a big guy about that stuff, but it’s kind of nice, I’m not gonna lie. But I’m still not used to it.”

The only question left now is which player gets the keys to the Oregon offense.

Just behind him at a separate table sits graduate transfer Dakota Prukop, a 22-year-old senior who already has two seasons as a starter under his belt from his decorated career at Montana State. Prukop answers similar questions in a confident, more matter-of-fact fashion.

He isn’t worried that he hasn’t claimed the starting job yet despite his seniority, and yes, he knows that he will need to avoid big hits to survive at the Pac-12 level.

Coming off its worst season in almost a decade, Oregon desperately needs to find consistency at the quarterback position to maintain its status as one of the top programs in the country. In Jonsen and Prukop, the Ducks possess two players with similar flashy playing styles who could stabilize the program in vastly different ways—but neither of them have ever taken a snap in an Oregon uniform.

22

Jonsen, the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015, offers Oregon a chance to build continuity at the position over the next several years.

“Dakota has worked really hard to use the experience that he has to grow as a quarterback within our system,” Oregon quarterbacks coach David Yost told reporters. “With Travis, he has a good understanding of the offense. Now it’s just getting reps of it over and over and over again. They’re kind of at two different points in the learning curve.”

For all of Prukop’s in-game experience — he accumulated over 7,000 total yards in two years at Montana State — he is still the less-experienced of the two when it comes to engineering Oregon’s up-tempo offense.

Jonsen arrived on campus in spring 2015, his senior year of high school, and has been working in Oregon’s system for nearly 18 months. He could have been thrown into Oregon’s chaotic quarterback

DAKOTA

6-ft. 2 in.

195 pounds

PRUKOP

Montana State University in Bozeman, MT

3,025 passing yards (62.8% completion)

28 passing TDs in 2015 11 rushing TDs in 2015 While at Montana State in 2015: 1st-Team Associated Press FCS All America 2nd-Team All-Big Sky Conference

(Samuel Marshall)

battle last year, but was forced to redshirt after suffering a foot injury.

During his redshirt season, he made sure not to suffer the same pitfalls that derail so many quarterbacks during their gap year. He kept going to team meetings and never stopped throwing; if he felt down, or bored, he would grab some footballs and throw into a net.

“I wish when I was Travis’ age, I was as good as he was,” Prukop said.

“He’s a very talented guy who’s highly rated for a reason. There’s no fluke there. He can run, he can throw it, he can do everything that needs to be done in this offense.”

A.J. Gass, Jonsen’s former coach at Servite High School in Anaheim, California, has had the chance to watch both Jonsen and Prukop evolve during their respective careers. Prukop’s father, Tim, was an assistant coach at Servite in the late ‘90s, and he and Gass met through a mutual friend. Since then, Gass kept tabs on Prukop’s career while also coaching Jonsen as he grew into one of the top dualthreat recruits in the country. “[Jonsen] is the type of kid who will flourish in a system like [Oregon’s],” Gass said. “If you need something done... He’s going to demand it in a way that others will want to succeed for him. He’s not a flashy guy when you talk to him; he’s not an all-eyes-on-me guy. But once you put him on the field and under the lights, he really comes out of his shell.”

After Oregon’s first live scrimmage of fall camp, Helfrich said Prukop has been the Ducks’ most consistent quarterback and has begun to separate himself in the race for the starting job. Helfrich said he’d like to name a starter roughly 10 days before Oregon’s season begins on September 3rd.

Numerous Oregon players have said that there isn’t much difference in playing style between Prukop and Jonsen: They each have zip on their throws, the ability to place the long ball and the athleticism to break off big runs.

If Prukop indeed wins the job, it could simply be because he has experience at the college level, while Jonsen hasn’t. But it will also partially be due to the confidence and leadership he displayed when he arrived early to Oregon during winter term.

“I think (Prukop) came in and he learned everything so fast,” redshirt freshman receiver Alex Ofodile said. “It’s kind of tough to come in when you don’t know the ropes or know things well and he did a good job just preparing and knowing his stuff. I think that has helped him come in and kind of take a leadership role.”

No matter which one Helfrich chooses, one of the most talented offensive groups in the nation will be controlled by a player who has never played in a Pac-12 game.

-Jarrid Denney

23

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Offensive Line It does not matter who Oregon’s quarterback is if they are constantly on their back. The Oregon offensive line will be rebuilding around two experienced upperclassmen: Tyrell Crosby and Cameron Hunt.

With Tyler Johnstone, Matt Hegarty and Matt Pierson departing from the line, Crosby and Hunt will be the leaders of a work-in-progress group.

Crosby, who started 12 games at right tackle last season, made the move to left tackle this spring. His 1,046 plays last season were the most of any Oregon offensive player and he will need to channel all of his experience when adapting to the left side of the line.

He is a candidate for pre-season first team all-Pac-12 and is on the Outland Trophy watch list.

Hunt is projected to start at one of the guard positions come fall, but there is a possibility he moves to the right tackle position. He sat out of spring competition with an injury, so it is all speculation, but his three years of experience starting at guard makes it likely that he will remain there.

Fifth year transfer Zac Morgan from Dayton will most likely start at the right tackle position. Morgan started at both tackle positions during his career at Dayton and earned first team all-Pioneer League last season. Morgan is a three time second-team academic all-conference honoree and he was honored with Dayton’s Outstanding Lineman Award each of the last two seasons.

Redshirt freshman Jake Hanson has emerged as the likely starter at center. Last season, Hanson was talented enough to break into the offensive line rotation, but the coaching staff decided to redshirt him.

Multiple players will be competing for the final spot.

It depends on where Hunt and Morgan end up, but Evan Voeller, Jake Pisarcik, Shane Lemieux, Zach Okun, Doug Brenner and Calvin Throckmorton will all be competing for a starting spot or a place in the rotation.

-Jack Butler

Oregon players Dillon Mitchell (1) and Tyrell Crosby (73) celebrate Mitchell’s touchdown during the second quarter of spring game. (Taylor Wilder)

25

Game Previews Sept. 3 vs. UC Davis Aggies (2-9, 2-6 Big Sky): Oregon fans will finally see this season’s starting quarterback. Whether it’s FCS transfer Dakota Prukop or redshirt freshman Travis Jonsen, they both face the task of leading Oregon back toward a Pac-12 championship and spot in the College Football Playoff after going 9-4 last season.

Sept. 10 vs. Virginia Cavaliers (4-8, 3-5 ACC): Oregon and Virginia conclude their home-and-home series in this late night ESPN game. As new head coach Bronco Mendenhall leads Virginia after a successful season with BYU, the Cavaliers will come to Autzen seeking revenge for their 59-10 loss in 2013.

Sept. 17 at Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-7, 3-5 Big Ten): Head coach Mike Riley left Oregon State after the 2014 season to escape the shadow of Oregon football but thanks to scheduling done before Riley arrived at Nebraska, he will have to face a talented Oregon team. But this time around, Riley has access to better athletes at Nebraska than he ever had in Corvallis. This will be the first road test for either Dakota Prukop or Travis Jonsen in front of 87,000 fans known as the “Sea of Red.”

Ducks receiver, Darren Carrington (22) breaks free from a defender at The Alamo Dome.

(Adam Eberhardt)

Sept. 24 vs. Colorado Buffaloes (4-9, 1-8 Pac-12 South): After being tied at halftime with the Buffaloes in Boulder last season, Oregon looks to assert itself this year against a team that’s been near the bottom of the conference the last few seasons.

Royce Freeman should have room to run against the Buffaloes defense and make an early case for the Heisman trophy.

Oct. 1 at Washington State Cougars (9-4, 6-3 Pac-12 North): The Air-Raid attack of

the Cougars dismantled Oregon’s secondary last season when Luke Falk threw for 505 yards and five touchdowns in the upset Duck loss in double overtime. Oregon responded by hiring the Cougars receivers coach David Yost in the offseason to be quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator.

The Ducks will head to Pullman seeking revenge for their first loss to the Cougars since 2006.

throughout the 80s and 90s. However, from 2004 on it’s hardly been a rivalry at all.

Oregon is looking for its 13th win in a row, but this could be the best Washington team the Ducks have faced since the beginning of the win streak. Led by head coach Chris Petersen, the Huskies were picked at Pac-12 Media Day to finish above the Ducks, in the Pac-12 North.

Oct. 21 at California Golden Bears (8-5, 4-5 Pac-12 North): By the time this game

kicks off, California should have a good idea of who is going to replace the No. 1 pick in last year’s NFL draft, Jared Goff. Last year on a rainy night at Autzen Stadium, Oregon was able to control the Bears with 777 yards of offense, including 180 yards rushing from Royce Freeman. If the Bears haven’t improved defensively the time these two teams square off on Oct. 21, it could be another explosive night for the Ducks.

Oct. 8 vs. Washington Huskies (7-6, 4-5 Pac-12 North): The Ducks battle the Huskies in what was known as one of the biggest rivalries in the northwest

27

Oct. 29 vs. Arizona State Sun Devils (6-7, 4-5 Pac-12 South): Last year, these two teams played one of the most exciting games of the season, when Oregon won in the desert 61-55 in triple overtime. The Sun Devils will be breaking in a lot of new talent on offense this season, including four new offensive line starters and a new quarterback, as well as the top two receivers from last season. Having an inexperienced offense is never good when going against an Oregon team that likes to score quickly and put the opposing offense back on the field.

Nov. 5 at USC Trojans (8-6, 6-3 Pac-12 South): If USC is going to have a successful year in head coach Clay Helton’s first full season, they’re going to need a big year from quarterback Max Browne and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. This will be another road test for the Ducks. If USC beats Alabama to start the season, this game could have even more hype surrounding it. With this game a week before Stanford, this stretch could make or break Oregon’s season.

28

Kani Benoit (29) finds an opening against the University of Washington at Husky Stadium.

(Adam Eberhardt)

Nov. 12 vs. Stanford Cardinal (12-2, 8-1 Pac-12 North): In recent years, this matchup

has decided the Pac-12 champion, and no other team outside these two has been able to call themselves Pac-12 champion since 2009. Oregon spoiled Stanford’s chance to make the College Football Playoff last season when the Ducks won 38-36 at Stanford.

The Ducks have won six of the last seven meetings in Eugene. If things fall into place during the 2016 season, this game could help decide the winner of not just the conference, but also the Heisman Trophy. Oregon’s Royce Freeman and Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey are likely contenders.

Nov. 19 at Utah Utes (10-3, 6-3 Pac-12 South): The Ducks head to Utah, looking to

avenge their six-touchdown loss at Autzen last year. It will much be more difficult for Utah to have a repeat performance this year with a new quarterback, new starting running back and three new wide

receivers, as well as a new defensive coordinator. What has typically been a productive Utah defense will be a tough test for either Prukop or Jonsen in another tricky road matchup.

Nov. 26 vs. Oregon State Beavers (2-10, 0-9 Pac-12 North): Oregon looks for its

ninth victory in a row in the 120th Civil War in Corvallis. Gary Andersen is in his second season coaching Oregon State. The Beavers look to improve on last season’s winless Pac-12 record. Oregon State is breaking in new quarterback Darrel Garrettson and new defensive coordinator Kevin Clune heading into 2016. The return of Victor Bolden and Jordan Villamin at wide receiver gives Garrettson a chance to move the ball down the field. Clune will have his work cut out for him trying to figure out a way to stop Oregon’s explosive offense.

-Zak Laster

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Wide Receivers Redshirt junior and 2015 second

yards and five total touchdowns.

team All-Pac-12 selection Darren Carrington will lead a talented group

Junior Devon Allen recently qualified

of wide receivers that includes

for the U.S. Olympic track and field

Charles Nelson, Devon Allen,

team for the 110-meter hurdles

Dwayne Stanford and Jalen Brown.

and could add even more depth to

Fox Sports recently touted the

Oregon’s offense when he returns to

Ducks’ receivers as the fourth best

the football field later in the fall. As

corps in the country.

a redshirt freshman during the 2014 season, Allen had 684 receiving

Though Carrington missed half of

yards and seven touchdowns.

last season after failing an NCAA Darren Carrington finds himself with an open field after receiving a pass down field.

drug test for marijuana prior to the

Last season, redshirt junior Dwayne

2015 National Championship against

Stanford finished as the Ducks’ third-

Ohio State, he still finished last

leading receiver with 463 yards and

season with 609 receiving yards and

five touchdowns on 30 receptions.

six touchdowns — averaging nearly

Though he missed spring workouts

a touchdown per game. Carrington’s

after a mid-April knee surgery, he

receiving yards and touchdowns

will be back in action for fall.

both ranked second for the Ducks last season. This year, Charles

Rounding out the group of returning

Nelson will only be playing wide

athletes is sophomore Jalen Brown,

receiver, the position he played as a

who finished last season with 89

freshman when he was responsible

yards and one touchdown.

for 327 receiving yards, 101 rushing

-Hannah Bonnie

Running Backs The 2016 group of Oregon run-

coordinator Matt Lubick spent the

ning backs will continue to be an

spring brainstorming how to get

unyielding powerhouse with the

Griffin more involved in the of-

return of the nation’s fourth-lead-

fense, and Griffin often lined up at

ing rusher, junior Royce Freeman,

receiver during scrimmages.

along with Taj Griffin, Tony BrooksJames and Kani Benoit.

Redshirt sophomore Tony BrooksJames is a speedy dual-sport

Royce Freeman, the 230 pound

athlete who is also a sprinter

all-purpose back from Imperial,

for Oregon track and field. He

California was recently named to

averaged nine yards per carry in

the Sports Illustrated pre-season

2015, earning 288 total yards in

All-American second team and

32 attempts.

could be in the running for the Heisman trophy if he completes

Redshirt junior Kani Benoit is also in

another stellar season. Freeman

the mix. At 210 pounds, he finished

led the Pac-12 in rushing touch-

the 2015 season with 364 rushing

downs in 2015 with 17 and reached

yards on 52 attempts.

a career high of 246 total yards in one game, with two touchdowns

Also behind Freeman are three

against Washington State.

walk-ons: redshirt seniors Jarret LaCoste and Lane Roseberry,

Sophomore Taj Griffin adds depth

and freshman Langston Stuckey,

to the Duck offense as he averaged

whose only on-field experience

7.4 yards per-carry in 2015 and

was in the 2016 spring game

finished with 570 yards on just 77

where he rushed for 10 yards on

rushing attempts. Oregon offensive

three attempts.

-Alexa Chedid 30

Royce Freeman (21) forces his way past a Utah defender at Atuzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Adam Eberhardt)

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