Game week is officially here, and no formality makes it any more official than the release of the first official depth chart of the season.

If you’re a regular at WFOD, there’s a good chance you’ve already familiarized yourself with our Living Depth Chart feature, which is constantly updated as roster movement occurs throughout the year. However, with kickoff to the 2019 season a mere five days away for the Ducks, we’ll take a moment to dive in-depth on the biggest items worth digesting and reacting to following the release of Oregon’s officially recognized “Organizational Chart” on Monday.

The first Organizational Chart of the 2019 season from the desk of Coach Cristobal. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/UmiNwQiJZh

— Oregon Football (@oregonfootball) August 26, 2019

Receiver depth takes shape after fall camp injuries

To say the Ducks were stung by injuries to the wide receiver position during fall camp would be an understatement. Tormented, on the other hand, feels like a word more apropos of what actually occurred. In the span of roughly two weeks, Oregon suffered significant injuries to their most experienced veteran (Brenden Schooler), a true freshman phenom (Mycah Pittman), and a second true freshman who was expected to provide quality depth for the unit this season (JR Waters). With Schooler (foot), Pittman (shoulder), and Waters (foot) each expected to miss at least the first month of the season, the Ducks head into the season opener with just seven healthy receivers on scholarship, excluding true freshman Lance Wilhoite, who is currently battling a hamstring injury and who’s availability is unknown for Saturday’s game.

With that, it’s expected that Oregon will start former Penn State grad transfer Juwan Johnson, along with juniors Jaylon Redd and Johnny Johnson. Immediately backing them up will be a trio of freshmen (two redshirt and one true) in Bryan Addison, JJ Tucker, and Josh Delgado, who will be making their first significant contributions as college football players Saturday vs. Auburn. Oregon dodged a bullet when it was reported last week that Juwan Johnson was limping after practice due to calf cramps, though it goes to show just how tenuous the situation is at out wide at the moment.

Two tight end positions listed on initial depth chart

Given the crippling injuries the Ducks have suffered at wide receiver the past couple of weeks, it really comes as no surprise to see Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal leverage his depth at tight end by including two tight end positions on the Ducks’ first “Organizational Chart.” The first names listed at both the “TE (Y)” and “TE (H)” positions, respectively, are seniors Jacob Breeland and Ryan Bay.

Bay – along with his backup Hunter Kampmoyer – have been mainstays at tight end for the Ducks throughout fall camp as both Breeland and junior Cam McCormick have been hampered by injury for most of the past several weeks. Breeland, only recently, was cleared to return to practice, while McCormick has yet to be full-go as he rebounds from an ankle injury that was suffered before the onset of fall camp. However, Cristobal stated Monday that they expect the Bend native to be available for Saturday’s game.

The competition still rages on the right side of Oregon’s offensive line

The true strength for the Ducks on offense resides at quarterback with Justin Herbert, and along the offensive line, where Oregon welcomes back all five starters plus a number of key reserves from last year’s team. Yet, despite the rock solid nature of the Ducks in the offensive trenches, a spirited battle is still being waged between on the right side of the offensive line, where right guard Dallas Warmack and reserve right tackle Brady Aiello are competing for the chance to be in the starting five when the Oregon offense takes the field for the first time this season.

Calvin Throckmorton’s tremendous versatility gives the Ducks options here, as he could start at either right guard or right tackle depending on who performs better over the next couple days between Warmack and Aiello. Currently, the official Organizational Chart lists Warmack’s name as the first at right guard, with Aiello backing up Throckmorton at right tackle.

Tight competition at defensive end

It’s expected that the Ducks will be multiple in their defensive alignments throughout the season, and that is reflected to a degree in Oregon’s Organizational Chart. Defensive end is one position, in particular, that could see a number of faces rotate in and out of the lineup. Entering Saturday’s game versus Auburn, senior Gus Cumberlander, true freshman Kayvon Thibodeaux, and sophomore DJ Johnson are listed as “OR” (in that order) as it relates to who could start.

Of the three, Cumberlander is the most experienced and proven commodity, having earned plenty of praise from members of Oregon’s coaching staff given his growth coming off his four-sack season as a reserve in 2018. Thibodeaux, however, is by far the most celebrated player at the position, particularly after arriving in Eugene as the highest rated overall recruit in program history. He is joined by Johnson, a former four-star recruit and transfer from Miami (Fla.), to give the Ducks an intriguing compilation of versatility, athleticism, and pass rushing ability at that spot.

Mase Funa set to backup Bryson Young at STUD

Now more than a year removed following a knee injury that compromised his senior season of high school football, true freshman Mase Funa appears primed to assume a significant role on Oregon’s defense this fall. Rated as one of the nation’s top linebackers in the 2019 class, Funa hit the ground running upon arriving in Eugene earlier this summer, having shed much of the weight he gained while sidelined with his injury. Reports from practice frequently mentioned Funa as one of the defense’s most impactful players during fall camp, and it’ll be interesting to see just how much he’ll be able to showcase once things get kicked off for real starting this weekend.

McKinley, Woods, and Hill locked in a neck-and-neck race at nickel

The position battle on defense that arguably carried the most intrigue over the course of fall camp was the one waged between Verone McKinley, Haki Woods, and Jamal Hill at nickel. McKinley appears to have the slight edge as of this publication, as his name is listed first coming off a strong offseason. Woods and Hill, however, appear to have gained considerable ground in their own right, providing Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos with three confident options to turn to should attrition hit or should he look to shake things up in the back end.

Look for Jevon Holland to return punts, kickers to rotate

Brenden Schooler’s foot injury suffered earlier this month didn’t only throw Oregon’s receiver situation into a bit of a tizzy, but it also impacted what the Ducks plan to do on special teams, particularly as it relates to who will field punts. The frontrunners for that job currently are a pair of sophomores in Jevon Holland and Travis Dye.

Of the two, only Dye has “experience” returning punts at the collegiate level, after he returned two punts for 12 yards a season ago. Holland was a dynamic punt returner as a high schooler, but has yet to be featured as a return man since arriving in Eugene. On Monday, Cristobal expressed confidence in both players’ ability to secure the catch before making something happen with the return. Expect this to be somewhat of a back-and-forth battle that continues well into the season.

Meanwhile, the competition for the job as Oregon’s primary place kicker continues to jockey between Adam Stack, Camden Lewis, and Zach Emerson. When asked how he plans to manage that position throughout the season, Cristobal was non-committal, suggesting that competition for the job would essentially hinge on who was performing the best both in practice and on game days.