The anticipation in the air can only mean one thing: The onset of fall camp is upon us!
August 3 is the date circled on the calendars of Duck fans near and far, as that is the day fall camp officially opens at the University of Oregon. The month of practices that follow will not only give coaches, members of the media, and fans a sneak peek at the team for the upcoming season, but it will also serve as an opportunity to simultaneously answer and facilitate a litany of questions surrounding position battles and movement along the depth chart.
More importantly, it means we’re only one month away from the start of football season.
As we countdown the days, WFOD will preview each position group, providing an early snapshot of the depth chart, as well as handout a few superlatives to help set expectations for the season.
Today, WFOD’s Preseason Superlatives series continues with the running backs.
Running Back:
The Projected Depth Chart:
Tony Brooks-James (RSr.)/CJ Verdell (RFr.)/Taj Griffin (Sr.)/Travis Dye (Fr.)/Darrian Felix (So.)/Cyrus Habibi-Likio (RFr.)
The Duke: Tony Brooks-James
After spending three seasons as mostly the complementary piece to an Oregon rushing attack spearheaded by Royce Freeman, senior Tony Brooks-James finally gets his chance to show what he can do as the Ducks’ lead back. His place as the “Duke” of the Duck running back room could be tenuous, however, as he’ll assuredly face fervent competition from a host of other running backs on the roster who see an opportunity to pick up where the record-setting Freeman left off. He’ll also have to address the question as to whether he’s physically equipped to be Oregon’s every-down back over the course of a 12-game season. Though he has added noticeable weight to his 5-foot-9, 190-pound frame this offseason, he has yet to put his reshaped body to the test. Yet, if anyone has the inside track at the job, it’s unquestionably Brooks-James. For his career, Brooks-James has accounted for 1,557 yards (averaging 6.9 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns on the ground, and is arguably the fastest player on the Oregon roster. Regardless if he’s the starting running back at the end of the season, you can fully expect TBJ to be a focal point of the offense in some way, shape, or form.
The X-factor: Taj Griffin
Peaks and valley have largely summed up the collegiate career of senior Taj Griffin. Once rated as a four-star recruit and the No. 1 all-purpose running back in the country by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, Griffin launched his career as a Duck in promising fashion, racking up 732 all-purpose yards (570 rushing, 162 receiving) and scoring four touchdowns as a true freshman. Since then, he’s seen his production drop off dramatically due to injuries, position changes, and inconsistent playing time. In fact, since his freshman year, Griffin has only amassed 482 all-purpose yards over the course of two seasons, staining him as a largely inconsistent, if not seemingly forgotten, piece to the offensive puzzle. However, entering the upcoming season, Griffin has a clean bill of health and still maintains a reputation as one of the most explosive players in a Duck uniform. His opportunity to be the X-factor of this group is multi-factorial: For one, he must prove during fall camp that he is still the player he once was and command playing time with a string of impressive practices throughout the month of August. Secondly, if healthy, the burden is on Oregon’s offensive brain trust to find ways to creatively and effectively implement him as a trigger within the game plan. If those two things occur, don’t be surprised to see Griffin emerge once again as a valuable weapon in his final season in Eugene.
The Upstart: CJ Verdell
Even with Tony Brooks-James returning in 2018 as the most experienced running back on the Oregon roster, it is largely believed that the Ducks will employ a running back-by-committee approach to start the season. Yet, there is one player in particular who could have a rather large say in how exactly that committee approach is pared down as the season wears on. That player is redshirt freshman CJ Verdell. Standing 5-foot-9 and 201 pounds, Verdell is a thicker, more powerfully built alternative to players such as Brooks-James and Griffin. While he may not possess the track star speed of those players, he has enough wiggle and game-breaking ability – to along with his physical running style – to eventually develop into Oregon’s every-down back. At the very least, he’s shown (albeit in a small sample size) that he has nose for the end zone in short yardage in situations, as seen by his two touchdowns from five yards out in the Oregon spring game this past April. His role as a touchdown vulture may be where he makes his most immediate impact this upcoming season, but don’t expect to see his contributions end there.