All Oregon lacks to have a truly explosive and potent offense are some reliable receivers.
It's a problem they've faced before. Jeff Maehl, Josh Huff and Bralon Addison all emerged early in their careers and filled big holes in the offense in years past. Byron Marshall moved over to receiver after a season as a 1,000-yard running back to fill a gaping hole in 2014.
So the skeptics, including Charles Fischer who says this year's receivers "are the worst ever for a season opener" (love Charles--he's a good friend and a guy who has written devotedly and well about the Ducks for a long time) can't say Oregon hasn't faced and solved this problem before.
http://fishduck.com/2017/08/oregon-receivers-the-worst-ever-for-a-season-opener/
Reading between the lines on the practice reports, it sounds like Dillon Mitchell and Johnny Johnson III are the most likely receivers to emerge as reliable, go-to guys at wideout. Alex Ofodile finally appears to be healthy. Charles Nelson will do his Charles Nelson thing, and Malik Lovette and Darrian McNeal should contribute. Schooler has moxie and decent speed (10.7 100 in HS), but it's hard to say how an experiment like that will prove out. It's worked before--both Maehl and Kenjon Barner were converted defensive backs.
Jake Breeland is going to be a stud at tight end.
Walk-on Alfonso Cobb has an intriguing story and apparently loads of athletic ability, but nothing coming out of practice suggests he's anywhere close to cracking the 3-deep as yet.
http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/08/the_duck_and_the_dream_walk-on.html
Taj Griffin will make some plays in that slot/running back/receiver role that DAT popularized. Getting him the ball in open space 5-7 times a game is truly a terrifying prospect for opposing defenses, and that jet sweep motion thing Taggart likes to do is tailor made for him.
Somehow the Ducks have to find a way to get people open and have them catch the football. They don't lack for speed, and the threat of that power running game should help. It should be a banner year for big plays on the play-action pass.
Taggart has said he doesn't have plans to redshirt anyone, so all of the freshman should be available, including super fast Daewood Davis and Jaylon Redd.
Deommodore Lenoir told me he wants the opportunity to play both ways the way Adoree Jackson did, but I've seen nothing that shows they've lined him up for even a practice period on offense. He certainly has the talent, and if all these other options don't pan out, maybe Jim Leavitt would loan him out for a few downs.
It's an adage of football that the farther away from the ball you line up, the easier it is to play early. In a couple of years the Ducks could have a receiver corps that is frighteningly fast, talented and deep (the current freshmen plus Lenzy, Thompson, Battle and Harrison), but to coax 6-8 wins out of this roster, they'll have to be both creative and serendipitous in the passing game.
It's a problem they've faced before. Jeff Maehl, Josh Huff and Bralon Addison all emerged early in their careers and filled big holes in the offense in years past. Byron Marshall moved over to receiver after a season as a 1,000-yard running back to fill a gaping hole in 2014.
So the skeptics, including Charles Fischer who says this year's receivers "are the worst ever for a season opener" (love Charles--he's a good friend and a guy who has written devotedly and well about the Ducks for a long time) can't say Oregon hasn't faced and solved this problem before.
http://fishduck.com/2017/08/oregon-receivers-the-worst-ever-for-a-season-opener/
Reading between the lines on the practice reports, it sounds like Dillon Mitchell and Johnny Johnson III are the most likely receivers to emerge as reliable, go-to guys at wideout. Alex Ofodile finally appears to be healthy. Charles Nelson will do his Charles Nelson thing, and Malik Lovette and Darrian McNeal should contribute. Schooler has moxie and decent speed (10.7 100 in HS), but it's hard to say how an experiment like that will prove out. It's worked before--both Maehl and Kenjon Barner were converted defensive backs.
Jake Breeland is going to be a stud at tight end.
Walk-on Alfonso Cobb has an intriguing story and apparently loads of athletic ability, but nothing coming out of practice suggests he's anywhere close to cracking the 3-deep as yet.
http://www.oregonlive.com/ducks/index.ssf/2017/08/the_duck_and_the_dream_walk-on.html
Taj Griffin will make some plays in that slot/running back/receiver role that DAT popularized. Getting him the ball in open space 5-7 times a game is truly a terrifying prospect for opposing defenses, and that jet sweep motion thing Taggart likes to do is tailor made for him.
Somehow the Ducks have to find a way to get people open and have them catch the football. They don't lack for speed, and the threat of that power running game should help. It should be a banner year for big plays on the play-action pass.
Taggart has said he doesn't have plans to redshirt anyone, so all of the freshman should be available, including super fast Daewood Davis and Jaylon Redd.
Deommodore Lenoir told me he wants the opportunity to play both ways the way Adoree Jackson did, but I've seen nothing that shows they've lined him up for even a practice period on offense. He certainly has the talent, and if all these other options don't pan out, maybe Jim Leavitt would loan him out for a few downs.
It's an adage of football that the farther away from the ball you line up, the easier it is to play early. In a couple of years the Ducks could have a receiver corps that is frighteningly fast, talented and deep (the current freshmen plus Lenzy, Thompson, Battle and Harrison), but to coax 6-8 wins out of this roster, they'll have to be both creative and serendipitous in the passing game.
