Oregon’s 2018 offense struggled with consistency all season. One half would look like the days of old when the Ducks scored at will. Fifteen minutes later, a first down was tough to get.
But the Ducks have 10 returning starters on offense; on paper, it’s one of the most daunting offenses in the country.
“I think there are some little tweaks that we’ve done that we like that we assessed from last year,” offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo said. “In some other cases, maybe some things we thought were OK didn’t work out, so let’s move forward with some other ideas. It’s been good. I think that’s what spring is for.”
Quarterback
Oregon’s biggest win of 2018 was Justin Herbert’s decision to return for his senior season. The talented senior will have lots of preseason hype, and his name will appear on the biggest awards watch lists. The backup quarterbacks will be of interest in the spring game. Two-year backup Braxton Burmeister transferred to Virginia Tech, so redshirt freshman Tyler Shough is the assumed No. 2. Freshman Cale Millen graduated high school early, so this will be his public introduction to Duck fans. Herbert will surely execute and play well in the spring game, but the keen eye will be watching the backups.
Running Back
CJ Verdell and Travis Dye developed into a potent one-two punch toward the end of last year. They impressed as freshmen last season, and now the backfield is theirs. Verdell is a human bowling ball, while Dye adds speed. Fellow sophomore Cyrus Habibi-Likio was limited to goal-line carries last season, so the spring game may give us a hint of whether he can expand his role and throw his name into the running back rotation come fall.
Offensive Line
The running backs will have one of the most experienced offensive lines in front of them. The Ducks return all five starters, four of whom are seniors. The underclassman, sophomore left tackle Penei Sewell, is already a pillar on the O-line, and he succeeded in protecting Herbert’s blindside last season. Ironically, there were times when the offense didn’t dominate the line of scrimmage last year, but this is by far the most experienced unit on the Ducks this season. One more year together could be the difference.
Receivers
The biggest question of 2019 Oregon football: Whom will Herbert throw to? Oregon lost Dillon Mitchell, the Ducks’ record holder for yards in a season and Herbert’s safety blanket all last season. The Ducks knew they needed help at the position. They got four wide receivers in the freshman class, but the immediate help will come from Penn State grad-transfer Juwan Johnson. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he can be the big target Herbert hasn’t had. As for the others, there are plenty of snaps still up for grabs next season.
