Fall camp officially opens August 3 for the Oregon football team, though at the earliest, several frequently-asked questions about the 2018 edition of the Ducks won’t be answered until the team kicks off the season for real September 1 vs. Bowling Green:

“What will the Oregon offense look like with Marcus Arroyo installed as the full-time play-caller?”

“Is Justin Herbert a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate?”

“Is it possible for the Duck defense to serve as the true backbone of this team in their second season under defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt?”

However, there’s one question that has occupied real estate in my head ever since the week leading up to Oregon’s home tilt versus Arizona last November.

“Where and how does Demetri Burch ultimately make his mark in a Duck uniform?”

If you recall, Burch, a redshirting freshman at the time, was lauded by teammates and coaches for giving the Duck defense the dry run of a lifetime as they prepared for life defending Arizona quarterback – and surging Heisman Trophy candidate – Khalil Tate.

Having rushed for no less than 137 yards in each of the previous six games before Arizona’s trip to Autzen, Tate was completely neutralized by Oregon defensively, as the Ducks limited him to a paltry 2.3 yards per carry in their convincing 48-28 victory over the Wildcats.

“Without Demetri Burch, I’m not sure we play the way we played tonight,” said Oregon linebacker Troy Dye to the Eugene (Ore.) Register-Guard. “He gave us a tremendous look the past 10 days. He did everything we needed him to do. He gave us speed and strength, everything Khalil Tate brings to the table.”

For a player who didn’t see a single second of game action, and who had spent his entire first year on campus toiling on the scout team, there is no higher praise than to have your peers mention you repeatedly by name as a reason why your team won that day.

But what does it all amount to if you’re Demetri Burch?

The 2017 season was a year that saw Burch bounce continuously between quarterback and wide receiver, particularly in the weeks following Herbert’s collarbone injury, which sidelined him five games in the middle of the season. Now that Herbert is healthy, and Burch has already spent a year observing, improving, and mirroring Heisman Trophy candidates in practice, what could be in store for the Apopka, Fla. native in 2018?

Unless the Ducks suffer a significant injury to one of their quarterbacks in the build up to the season opener, look for Burch to get his first crack at playing time lined up in the slot as a receiver. Officially listed at 6-foot and 193 pounds, the former high school quarterback has an array of skills that suit him perfectly at receiver. He’s got good speed, but is more so known for being tremendously quick and elusive, demonstrating a knack for slipping out of tackles and darting away from defenders when the ball is in his hands.

The issue, however, is who does he supplant for playing time?

Three of the Ducks’ top four wide receivers from a season ago are back in Dillon Mitchell, Johnny Johnson, and Brenden Schooler. Additionally, sophomore Jaylon Redd and Wake Forest grad transfer Tabari Hines will be angling hard for reps at the slot position once fall camp opens in a matter of weeks. Unless there’s an injury or suspension of some kind there, it figures to be a tall order for Burch to command playing time over those players.

However, depending on how much he’s able to push those guys in preseason practices, don’t totally rule out a situation where Burch factors in as a return specialist on special teams, or even perhaps as the focal point of an offensive package designed specifically to get the ball in his hands. Given his background as a quarterback, he provides some intriguing options for Oregon’s offensive brain trust as they look to keep opposing defenses on their heels.

The second coming of Khalil Tate he is not, but in terms of what Demetri Burch has already proven to those within the program and what he brings to the table moving forward, it’s hard to believe Burch’s role won’t at some point expand beyond those fleeting moments of impersonation and improvisation last fall.