Charles Nelson may not have scored, but he did just about everything else to help Oregon win the Pac-12 title.
Nelson, a freshman wide receiver from Dayton Beach, Florida, finished with 148 total yards, and at times, looked like the best player on the field. For a player that was virtually unknown to the public eye heading into the season, Nelson has since become a well-known commodity among Oregon players.
“He’s a special player,” Marcus Mariota said. “For him to be able to do what he’s been able to do the last few weeks as a freshman, says a lot about his character and his mentality.”
Making the jump
Earlier in the year, every department was pulling and tugging for Nelson. On offense, Nelson could catch and run out of the backfield. On defense, Nelson could tackle. On special teams, Nelson could return, even looking like De’Anthony Thomas with the signature No. 6 shining on his back.
“Just been a gradual evolution,” Mark Helfrich said. “He’s just another smart, unselfish leader.”
Simply put, Nelson resembles a swiss army knife with his versatility and unique skill set, and tonight, he showed it in full force. Play after play, Nelson broke tackles and flashed his top tier speed over Levi’s Stadium’s fifth grass field in four months. He even stiff armed an Arizona defender late in the third quarter, something you wouldn’t expect from his 5-foot-9, 170-pound frame.
Said Mariota: “He’s really a great asset for us.”
These past few weeks, there has been a lot of hype surrounding Nelson. Tonight, Nelson lived up to it.
“That kid’s going to be special for years to come,” Mariota said.
Ceiling is high
As Oregon presumably marches forward to the inaugural college football playoff, Nelson will be right there next to his teammates, waiting to be called in whatever capacity the coaches choose to put him in.
“It’s a great experience seeing all these guys who have grown up and been in this program for a long time,” Nelson said. “Just being able to come out here and excel as a team and see everybody happy is just a great feeling for me.”
 
Nelson, who came to Oregon in hopes of playing for an established program, was surrounded by media members following the win. It may be safe to say that he’s happy with his decision.
“It’s a great program, that’s why I chose to come here,” Nelson said. “I never knew ho far we’d go as a team until I got here and the process just took over.”
Follow Hayden Kim on Twitter @HayDayKim