The dog days of summer have arrived. And while there’s little cause for celebration during this portion of the calendar, there is good news to report:
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview has arrived as well!
As fall camp fast approaches, WFOD will be rolling out an in-depth series of position-by-position previews to help you fully prepare for the upcoming season.
Our Fall Camp Preview series continues Wednesday with a breakdown of Oregon’s wide receivers.
As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.
The Headliner
Dillon Mitchell’s somewhat surprising departure for the NFL following a record-setting junior season left many Duck fans wondering what kind of state Oregon’s wide receiver room would be left in as they turn the page to 2019. With Mitchell gone, the Ducks lose a dynamic player who accounted for more than 30 percent of the team’s receptions, more than 36 percent of its receiving yards, and more than 34 percent of its receiving touchdowns. The group that remains in his stead is one that is long on experience, but light on proven production. To help combat this unit’s perceived shortcomings heading into the upcoming season, the Ducks got active on the transfer market and landed perhaps the biggest fish in the transfer portal in Penn State grad transfer Juwan Johnson.
A former four-star recruit from New Jersey who was heavily recruited by Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal while he was an assistant at Alabama, Johnson comes to Eugene with an opportunity to step in immediately and establish himself as both a spiritual leader and statistical leader for this embattled group. While at Penn State, Johnson tallied 81 receptions for 1,123 yards and two touchdowns in three seasons with the Nittany Lions, with his breakout season coming as a sophomore in 2017 (54 catches for 702 yards and one touchdown).
Injuries derailed Johnson’s junior year in Happy Valley, but before that, the towering 6-foot-4, 230-pound pass catcher was plagued by drops – a reality that Duck fans are all too familiar with coming off last season’s struggles from the receiver position. Now healthy and with a full spring with his new team under his belt, Johnson may be the best bet of this group to emerge as Justin Herbert’s go-to option a la Mitchell.
The Supporting Ensemble
As mentioned, Oregon’s wide receiver group has no shortage of experienced veterans, though none have proven to be reliable options for the Ducks in the passing game. On hand to help turn things around is former Utah State assistant Jovon Bouknight, who replaces former Oregon receivers coach Michael Johnson who left Eugene to take the same post at Mississippi State. It’ll be Bouknight’s charge to find the light switch for senior Brenden Schooler and juniors Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson, who as a group struggled mightily with drops a season ago. Of the three, Redd is the player with the most playmaking potential, as he returns as Oregon’s top receiver after notching 38 receptions for 433 yards and five touchdowns in 2018. Though the same could said of Johnson and Schooler, Redd’s ability to improve upon those numbers in 2019 could be particularly impactful as this unit desperately seeks a rebound season.
Aiding these efforts is another trio of players who may lack experience, but possess eye-catching potential. After redshirting last season, Bryan Addison, Isaah Crocker, and JJ Tucker enter fall camp a year more experienced and with relatively open paths to playing time should they demonstrate that marked progress has been made. Addison and Crocker are particularly interesting, as both players are former four-star recruits who were expected to play supporting roles last season. Of the two, Addison was the closest to breaking through, as the third-ranked athlete in the 2018 class per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings appeared in four games, registering one catch for 12 yards.
The Intriguing New Cast Member
Improving the overall depth and talent of Oregon’s wide receiver group was a major focus for Cristobal and the staff during the 2019 recruiting cycle, and for the most part, they did just that by signing four highly-touted players at the position. If the recruiting rankings are to be believed, the crown jewel of the Ducks wide receiver class is former four-star prospect Mycah Pittman, who ranked as 15th-best receiver in the 2019 class according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. And it’s easy to see why. After enrolling in school this past spring, Pittman quickly ascended the depth chart and established himself as a serious contender for staring reps this upcoming season.
At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Pittman has both pedigree (his father Michael played running back in the NFL for 11 seasons, and older brother Michael Jr. plays wide receiver at USC, leading the Trojans in receiving yards and touchdowns last season) and production (finished with 177 catches for 3,129 yards and 32 touchdowns over a three-year high school varsity career) working in his favor as he makes his way to the next level. That was put on display in the spring game this past April when Pittman led all pass catchers with seven receptions.
He is joined by fellow four-star recruits Josh Delgado and Lance Wilhoite, as well as three-star prospect JR Waters. Like Pittman, Delgado was on hand this spring and could be another player who contends for immediate playing time, while Wilhoite and Waters will get their first taste of college football when fall camp opens next month.
The Stirring Subplot
Who steps up as this unit’s leader following Mitchell’s departure?
This is perhaps the most pressing question for this team heading into the upcoming season. For all intents and purposes, Dillon Mitchell was the Oregon passing game last season, and it’s difficult to imagine what this team would’ve been offensively without him. Now that he’s in Minnesota competing for playing time with the Vikings in the NFL, the Ducks must identify the player, or players, who can pick up the slack.
In our eyes, that responsibility essentially rests on the shoulders of three players: Juwan Johnson, Jaylon Redd, and Mycah Pittman. Johnson feels like the player best-equipped to be Oregon’s go-to receiver this season, as he’s the only one who has performed as such at this level. However, Tabari Hines felt like that player at this time last year, and though injuries ultimately hampered his ability to compete, there’s no guarantee Johnson will be that guy for the Ducks. Redd is the receiver who has done the most while wearing a Duck uniform, but given his lack of size (5’8″, 185 lbs.) and thin track record, it’s hard to imagine him being the player that single-handedly turns things around for Oregon through the air. Then there’s Pittman, who looks ready-made for the responsibility and is a terrific bet to be that player for the Ducks later in his career, but is alas a freshman who has yet to prove himself on this stage.
Even without Mitchell, Oregon’s receivers are undoubtedly in a better position than they were last season, but how that conveys to this season remains to be seen.
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs