Over the last decade, the tight end position has been one of the Oregon offense’s perennial strengths. Not only has the position been productive for the Oregon offense, it has also become fertile ground for growing NFL-quality talent.
Oregon’s last four starting tight ends have all ascended to the professional ranks. Justin Peelle was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and is currently with the Miami Dolphins. George Wrighster followed up his remarkable career for the Ducks by signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he has been a solid presence for the last four years. Tim Day and Dante Rosario have landed on the rosters of the Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers, respectively.
The heir apparent in this season’s group of tight ends is Ed Dickson, a 6-foot-5-inch 240 pound sophomore built in the same athletic mold as his agile predecessors at the position.
Dickson was a SuperPrep All-American and the No. 6 ranked tight end recruit nationally coming out of Bellflower, Calif. in 2005. He played both sides of the ball at Bellflower High, tallying 10 sacks and 42 tackles on defense his senior season to go along with his 28 receptions for over 400 yards and six touchdowns on offense.
Dickson redshirted in 2005, earning offensive player-of-the-week honors five times for his contributions to game preparations as a member of the scout team. He saw action in 13 games as a freshman last season on special teams as well as at defensive end, wide receiver and tight end as the team’s needs dictated.
Now he is at tight end to stay, according to the coaching staff, where he can utilize his height and speed to separate from defenders.
And though the performance of junior tight end Ryan Keeling may have statistically overshadowed Dickson’s in the spring game with 5 receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown, Dickson is still at the top of the depth chart and he said he is more than ready for this season.
“Camp has been going great for me,” he said. “I’ve been having the best camp of my career. I’m getting ready to have a big year.”
But with the number of weapons that the Ducks’ offense boasts this season, a breakout year may be difficult for Dickson to accomplish. Established receivers like Cameron Colvin, Brian Paysinger, Garren Strong and Jaison Williams would all seem likely to get the ball before Dickson, and running backs Jonathan Stewart and Jeremiah Johnson are proficient receivers out of the backfield with game-breaking ability after the catch.
So how does a young, unproven tight end get the ball amid this wealth of offensive talent? The answer, said Dickson, is simple – get open.
“Somebody is going to be open with so many good receivers on this team,” said Dickson. “Basically just pick your target. Pick your weapon and go with it.”
“With tight ends now, our ability to get vertical and get in and out of breaks, we’re open like 90 percent of the time,” he said. “When the quarterback has everybody open he’s just got to get back and get confident.”
New offensive coordinator Chip Kelly is another reason that Dickson feels he will see plenty of opportunities this season. “He puts an emphasis on throwing to the tight end because we’re the big target in the middle making moves,” he said.
The transition from former offensive coordinator Gary Crowton to Kelly has been a smooth one, according to Dickson, and Kelly has infused the entire Oregon offense with confidence.
“You can tell Coach Kelly knows what he’s talking about and that’s good for the players,” said Dickson. “The players see that he’s confident about what he’s calling and that makes us confident about what we’re running.”
Dickson certainly seems to be brimming with this confidence.
“We’re trying to win more than 10 games this year,” he said. “And I’m trying to get in the end zone at least once or twice a game and help my team.”