They say honesty is the policy, and in the spirit of that practice, there’s something we’d like to cop to:

We may have undersold and overlooked the potential contributions of one Brenden Schooler in 2018.

It was only a couple weeks ago when WFOD doled out a handful of preseason superlatives for Oregon’s wide receiver group in advance of fall camp and the upcoming season. In that piece, we discussed names such as Dillon Mitchell, Tabari Hines, and Johnny Johnson; three players who we speculated would provide some of the most noteworthy performances for the Ducks at wide receiver this season.

And while we still stand by our selections, we also recognize that we perhaps didn’t consider the talents of Schooler carefully enough, as through five fall camp practices, the junior from Dana Point, Calif. has been arguably one of the most impressive performers of anyone thus far.

At this time last year, Schooler was in the midst of making the transition from safety – where he finished with 74 tackles and a team-leading four interceptions in 2016 – to receiver, where he ultimately finished with 20 catches for 274 yards and three touchdowns. Yet, despite the expected growing pains that came with his first season at receiver, Schooler demonstrated at times why former head coach Willie Taggart saw it necessary to flip him from defense to offense.

At 6-foot-2 and 193 pounds, Schooler possesses plus athleticism and natural pass catching ability as a receiver, as he particularly excels in jump ball situations where his physicality and leaping ability make him a legitimate downfield threat. Schooler also puts his background as a defender to good use, exhibiting toughness as both an edge and downfield blocker, which should make him a particularly valuable asset for the Ducks in the perimeter run game.

The combination of those skills, plus a full offseason to acclimate and settle in at the position, and Schooler now appears to be a player on the verge of a true breakout season, as he showed signs of finding his stride earlier this spring. The challenge, however, will be continuing to build upon the momentum he’s already generated while fending off other game challengers for a starting job.

On a team still in search of reliable difference makers out wide, Mitchell is the only receiver on the roster at this point who dependably fits the bill. With the ability to be an effective target both outside the hash and in the slot, Mitchell offers options with how the Ducks deploy their receivers. If Mitchell is deployed primarily from the slot, Schooler likely slides in as the other outside receiver opposite Johnson. If not, then Schooler figures to have his hands full with Johnson, who has had an impressive offseason of his own coming off an encouraging true freshman campaign.

Of course, this doesn’t even mention the presence of guys like Hines, Daewood Davis, Jaylon Redd, Demetri Burch, and a trio of talented true freshmen in Bryan Addison, Isaah Crocker, and JJ Tucker, who are all in the mix for playing time this season with plenty of opportunities remaining in fall camp to make their case.

Still, though early, Schooler is proving to be formidable force who has shown no signs of slowing his surge towards the top of the depth chart. Even with the Brenden Schooler of last year, the Ducks would boast a very capable fleet of receivers. However, if the Ducks get the new and improved August of 2018 version of Schooler with consistency this fall, they may very well possess one of the more quietly impressive receiving units in the entire conference.