After months of trudging through the bleak hinterlands on the sports calendar, we can finally, and without reservation, begin turning our attention to the onset of autumn and the start of football.

For Duck fans, the beginning of fall camp is roughly three weeks away, which means the span of time is just enough to officially elevate excitement levels, while still being far enough away where the idea of football being played almost doesn’t feel real. Given our place in sports no-man’s-land, it feels like the perfect time for us to take a moment to simultaneously look back and look forward as we countdown the days to kickoff.

Today we examine five players who starred this past spring, and put their performances into context as we look towards the fall.

CJ Verdell

While his 44 yards on eight carries during the spring game may not have been overwhelmingly eye-catching, it’s clear that from the two short yardage touchdowns he scored that CJ Verdell adds an element of physicality to the Oregon ground game that could pay major dividends this fall. After spending his first year on campus as a freshman redshirt, Verdell enters 2018 as a bonafide threat to senior Tony Brooks-James’ defacto place atop the Ducks’ running back depth chart. At 5-foot-9 and 202 pounds, Verdell is solidly built and perhaps best equipped among the backs currently on the roster to be guy the Ducks rely on in short yardage situations. His toughness between the tackles may be his best trait, but he’s more well-rounded than he lets on, possessing shiftiness and enough speed to offer big play potential in the running game. Brooks-James will be a key component to whatever success Oregon has on the ground this year, but don’t be surprised to see Verdell emerge as the bell cow by season’s end.

Daewood Davis

If Verdell’s spring game performance was pedestrian in terms of flash, then Daewood Davis’ showing was a mode of transportation more akin to taking a bullet train. In his first performance of note in front of fans inside Autzen Stadium, Davis did not disappoint, as he hauled in three passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Slenderly built, Davis is the definition of a speed merchant, and is perhaps the receiver on the Oregon roster that is best suited for taking the top off a defense. He’ll need to be more consistent while continuing to add strength to his 6-foot-1, 183-pound frame if he is to develop into a true all-around receiving threat for the Ducks. However, there is no doubt that Davis is primed to enjoy a breakout season on a unit that is in search of playmakers.

Gary Baker

It may have taken some time, but it appears that 2018 is the year that redshirt junior Gary Baker could finally make his impact for the Ducks along the defensive line. Considered somewhat of a project when he first arrived in Eugene, Baker seems to putting things together under the tutelage of Oregon co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Joe Salave’a. Following an impressive spring in which Baker emerged as a potential starter at defensive end opposite Jalen Jelks, he’ll need to continue building upon that momentum this fall if he is to fend off talented sophomore Austin Faoliu for the starting job.

Isaac Slade-Matautia

The redshirt freshman from Honolulu was a whisker away from needing to burn his redshirt as a result of the rash of injuries the Ducks incurred at inside linebacker last season. Fortunately for Oregon, Slade-Matautia was able to preserve his redshirt status, which he parlayed into a strong spring campaign that now has him squarely in the mix for the starting inside linebacker spot alongside potential Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Troy Dye. Though he’s not the biggest guy standing 6-feet and 213 pounds, Slade-Matautia has a nose for the football and is a player who the coaching staff believes will be a mainstay at the position for years to come.

Keith Simms

Perhaps no player on the defensive side of the ball enjoyed a bigger spring than redshirt sophomore linebacker Keith Simms. Sidelined all of last year with a knee injury, the Washington, D.C.-native put people on notice with his stellar play in both practices and scrimmages this spring. Simms capped things off in impressive fashion as well, tallying eight tackles and one sack in the spring game. With the versatility to play inside or outside, Simms has a knack for flattening opposing backs and receivers, and should develop as a disruptive force on a defense teeming with playmakers that are beginning to come into their own. If he stays healthy and continues along his impressive trajectory, don’t be surprised to see Simms emerge as a starter at some point this season.