Running back Travis Dye has entered the transfer portal, according to a report by Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports.
The Oregon running back room has been very active in the transfer portal over the past month. Sean Dollars and Seven McGee entered the transfer portal for brief stints before returning home, while Trey Benson went with his initial instinct by staying in the portal after entering on Wednesday.
This announcement comes at a time that was very unexpected. Fellow senior running back C.J. Verdell has yet to announce his plans for the upcoming season. The now grad transfer Dye leaves Oregon after a career year, totaling more than 1,600 rushing yards along with 18 touchdowns. Dye undoubtedly would have been a key piece in the new-look Lanning offense should he have returned.
Many close to the organization believed that transferring was the least likely of Dye’s options. After putting up a stellar career for the Ducks, it was expected for Dye to enter his name into the NFL draft. Dye’s departure furthermore enhances the anticipation of Verdell’s upcoming decision.
The Ducks’ running back room will now lie heavily on the young core of Byron Cardwell, McGee and Dollars. Dye still has the possibility to retract his name from the transfer portal just like some of his now-former teammates have done. Without him, expect the young core and possibly Verdell to take on the defending champion Georgia Bulldogs, who come off a season in which they only allowed three rushing touchdowns in total.
