Part of the build-up and excitement heading into a new college football season are the discussions that take place around the players that could take the next step in their development and establish themselves as relied upon stars.
Notwithstanding the real uncertainty regarding the viability and safety of having a full and uninterrupted football season in this COVID-19 climate, WFOD takes a closer look at a handful of players who could be in line to see their roles and respective profiles expand with increased opportunity in 2020.
Today, we begin with a look at the top candidates on offense for Oregon.
5. Bryan Addison
The route that ultimately led Bryan Addison to Eugene had its fair share of twists and turns, but after spending two full seasons in the program under head coach Mario Cristobal, it feels like now may finally be moment that we see the redshirt sophomore hit his stride.
After registering just one catch for 12 yards in four games for the Ducks in 2018, Addison was able to preserve his redshirt and see his opportunity expand in a significant way in 2019, as Addison appeared in all 14 games last season, reeling in 18 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown. The absence of Juwan Johnson over the first quarter of the season certainly had a lot to do with Addison’s chance to be a featured weapon in the passing game, as nearly half of Addison’s production last year came in the first four games. With Johnson graduated and on to the NFL, the door is open for his 6-foot-5 and 194-pound replacement to build upon a solid foundation.
The biggest obstacle in the way of Addison walking through that door, however, may be USC transfer and class of 2018 recruit Devon Williams. The former four-star recruit has already made a name for himself thanks to his work on the scout team last season, and like Addison, possesses the impressive size (6’5″, 209 lbs.) and athleticism to be the Ducks’ most difficult matchup for opponents in the passing game. Consistency will be key, as neither player has demonstrated it over sustained stretches during the early portion of their respective careers, but Addison’s comparative familiarity with the staff and the team’s personnel may provide him with the edge he needs to blossom in 2020.
4. Spencer Webb
It many ways, after Jacob Breeland was lost for the year following a leg injury suffered in the first half of Oregon’s win over Colorado last season, the tight end position for the Ducks felt like it was being somewhat held together with duct tape and chicken wire. Primary reserves like Hunter Kampmoyer and walk-on Ryan Bay did the most they could in patching up the hole left in the offense in Breeland’s absence, but neither was or is truly equipped to deliver the caliber of production that Breeland brought to the table during his Oregon career.
One player who showed that he might be up to the task, however, was then-redshirt freshman Spencer Webb. His 20-yard touchdown catch over a helpless Auburn defender in the Ducks’ season opener seemed, at the time, to portend big things for the Sacramento-area native. And though Webb would ultimately go on to finish his first full season with 18 catches for 208 yards and three touchdowns, it didn’t prove to be the type of undeniable breakout year that Duck fans were hoping for following those first game fireworks.
Yet, with another year of development under his belt, the now redshirt sophomore may be primed to take the next step with question marks continuing to surrounding the tight end position. Kampmoyer returns, but figures to more or less remain in his role as primarily a blocker. Fellow redshirt sophomore Cam McCormick also returns after being granted additional years of eligibility during the offseason due to the litany of injuries and ailments he’s endured throughout the course of his career, but is effectively an unknown quantity at this point. The same could be said for redshirt freshman Patrick Herbert and former defensive lineman turned tight end D.J. Johnson, who both possess impressive athletic traits, but have yet to play a meaningful snap at tight end at the collegiate level.
Webb has his own detractors to overcome, as he’s still a work-in-progress as a blocker and has strides to make in terms of being a player the coaches can rely upon no matter the scenario. But with new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead on hand and expected to inject more life into an Oregon offense that’s found itself stuck all too often the past two years, it may be the perfect confluence of events leading to a breakout year for Webb.
3. Devon Williams
Ask any Duck fan with a finger on the pulse of recruiting, and they would have likely told you that the most crushing miss of the 2018 cycle was losing out to USC for former four-star recruit Devon Williams.
Long believed to be strong Oregon lean, momentum slowly but surely shifted away from the Ducks following Willie Taggart’s abrupt departure for Florida State after just one year as the headman at Oregon. After signing with the Trojans, Williams would go on to tally just five catches for 98 yards and one touchdown in 13 career games before making the decision last fall to enter the NCAA transfer portal and ultimately land with Ducks, though not before rankling a few Beaver fans along the way.
With close to a full season with the team under his belt, Williams now finds himself (next to Tyler Shough) as the object of everyone’s attention on offense for Oregon building up to the 2020 season. As mentioned previously, Williams tantalizing combination of size and athleticism makes him an exciting addition to a receiving corp who will be looking to replace the production provided by big-bodied receiver Juwan Johnson a season ago. Ranked as sixth-best receiver in the country during the 2018 recruiting cycle, it’s hard to argue that Williams doesn’t have the ideal résumé to fill that void, but he’ll need to do more than scorch the scout team in order to secure his place as a top target through the air for the Ducks this fall.
2. Steven Jones
With the left tackle position sewn up by reigning Outland Trophy winner Penei Sewell, the responsibility of bookending Sewell at the right tackle position will seemingly fall to redshirt sophomore Steven Jones, who must be champing at the bit after utilizing his redshirt season – despite being healthy – in 2019.
It’s true that Jones appeared in four games for the Ducks last season, but with the NCAA’s amended rules on redshirt eligibility, the Temecula (Calif.) native was able to preserve his redshirt status, setting him up for three more years of contending for a starting position along the Oregon offensive line. Jones saw action in five games as a true freshman in 2018, and impressed enough to make his first career start in an Oregon loss at Utah that year after grading out as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12 (83.9) by Pro Football Focus the week before in a win over UCLA.
That, by itself, is enough to stir up some excitement concerning Jones’ long-term potential, but when combined with his gargantuan 6-foot-7, 349-pound frame, it’s easy to see why Cristobal and offensive line coach Alex Mirabal are eager to see what Jones can accomplish when turned loose on the competition this season.
1. Tyler Shough
Decidedly, the biggest question mark on the Oregon roster this season resides at the most important position on the field: quarterback. The player expected to helm that position this season is the one who has been quietly groomed for two years in the shadow of Justin Herbert. With Herbert now a freshly minted first round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers, Tyler Shough emerges from relative obscurity to prospectively lead Oregon to repeat as Pac-12 Champions and perhaps clinch a berth in the College Football Playoff for the first time since the 2014 season.
No pressure for the redshirt sophomore who has appeared in just eight career games and attempted just 15 career passes entering the upcoming season.
Though, despite his inexperience, Shough has seemingly gained the respect and praise of his teammates and coaches, who all seem to laud the leadership skills and work ethic of the former four-star recruit in the 2018 class. That, combined with his encouraging performances and production (12-of-15 for 144 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions) despite the small sample size has been enough to get Duck fans feeling bullish about Shough’s ability to lead this team post-Herbert, though job won’t be handed to him.
Boston College grad transfer Anthony Brown has arrived on campus and figures to provide stiff competition for Shough overcome in order to earn QB1 status on the Oregon depth chart. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Shough has dramatically transformed his body in the time he’s been in Eugene, boasting the requisite size, skills, and athletic ability to be an effective triggerman in Moorhead’s offense. Time will tell if Shough is capable of rising to the occasion and opportunity that stands before him, but if he does, he rather easily fits the criteria of being the player most poised for a breakout season on offense for Oregon.
Top Photo: Oregon QB Tyler Shough (NBC Sports Northwest)