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 Thursday with a breakdown of Oregon’s tight ends.
As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.
The Headliners
Is it just me, or has the tight end position at Oregon been a tough one to put a finger on since Pharaoh Brown, Evan Baylis, and Johnny Mundt departed from the program following the 2016 season. That’s not to say that Oregon’s tight ends been bad, but beyond being injury-riddled, has there been anything particularly substantive that has come from this unit of late?
With the 2019 season residing just over the horizon, Cam McCormick and Jacob Breeland hope to change all of that.
For Breeland, a fifth-year senior, the upcoming season is a chance to punctuate his collegiate career in style. For much of his career, Breeland has been plagued with nagging injuries that haven’t necessary prevented him from playing but they have impacted his consistency from week-to-week. Yet, in spite of that, Breeland has demonstrated tremendous toughness, improving his overall production each and every season. That trend, however, could be in jeopardy, as Breeland – who missed much of spring practice – will once again face stiff competition from McCormick.
McCormick, who edged out Breeland for the starting job in fall camp last season, saw his sophomore season come to an end nearly before it began after he suffered a season-ending leg injury in the season opener versus Bowling Green. The Bend native, who is widely regarded as Oregon’s best blocking tight end, had been a player pegged for a breakout season prior to his injury but instead commutes that promise to 2019 after he was a full participant in practices this past spring. In two seasons of action, McCormick has caught just seven passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.
The Supporting Ensemble
The tight end position is one that figures to be well stocked under Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal, who places tremendous value on owning the line of scrimmage with athletic bigs. That’s certainly the case once again this season, as senior Ryan Bay, junior Hunter Kampmoyer, and redshirt freshman Spencer Webb offer plenty of experience for the Ducks behind McCormick and Breeland. Though not necessarily accomplished pass catchers (12 career receptions combined), Bay and Kampmoyer are tough in-line tight ends who provide additional power at the point of attack for Oregon in the run game. Conversely, Webb is a player who has been slow to earn playing time due to his inconsistencies as a run blocker. He is, however, a player capable of stretching the field and emerging as a serious weapon in the passing game if he can find a way to put it all together. Should he hit his stride in fall camp, Webb could be one of the biggest risers amongst this group.
The Intriguing New Cast Member
There are certain things expected of you if you’re the kid brother of Justin Herbert, but given the depth that’s currently in place, expectations shouldn’t be too overblown for true freshman Patrick Herbert. A former four-star recruit from nearby Sheldon High School in Eugene, Herbert could be the game changing talent that the Ducks have seemingly missed since Brown, Baylis, and Mundt graduated following the disastrous 2016 season. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Herbert will be the beneficiary of added bulk if he can take advantage of a redshirt year in 2019. However, given his well-rounded skill set, bloodlines, and tremendous production at the high school level (43 catches for 797 yards and 11 touchdowns as a senior), it would be unwise to dismiss Herbert as a potential factor in year one.
The Stirring Subplot
Is there a true difference maker at tight end on this roster?
Explosiveness from the tight end position feels like the one thing missing from the Oregon offense heading into the upcoming season. Breeland has resembled that player in the past, but with injuries seemingly catching up to him and his place on the depth chart slowly diminishing, it’s difficult to bank on him as a considerable receiving threat moving forward. For the past two offseasons McCormick has been billed as a potential breakout candidate at the position, but between devastating injuries (also suffered a torn ACL in high school) and limited opportunities, he has yet to demonstrate that he is in fact that player. Meanwhile, Bay – a walk-on – and Kampmoyer – a converted defensive lineman – are almost exclusively blocking tight ends who have limited ability beyond their stated roles. That leaves Webb and Herbert, who each possess dynamic athletic ability, but are young and completely unproven to this point in their careers.
In all fairness, it remains to be seen what Cristobal’s idealized vision for the position is, as injuries to key personnel have disrupted those plans to an extent. But as the Ducks prepare for a critical 2019 season, there will be a certain measure of intrigue surrounding the competition that’s to ensue once fall camp begins.
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs
WFOD’S 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Wide Receivers