Oregon Spring Preview: Running Back Still an Embarrassment of Riches
Oregon has a long and rich tradition at running back. Jonathan Stewart, LaMichael James, De'Anthony Thomas and Royce Freeman have all etched their names in the history books.
The Oregon Ducks are slated to begin spring practice on Thursday March 16 and today we're kicking off our spring preview.
The first of ten position groups we'll take a look at is the running backs. Carlos Locklyn enters his second year coaching the backs in Eugene and and chasing the standard set by Gary Campbell.
The Ducks have five scholarship running backs that project to command most of the carries.
Locked and Loaded
The running back picture starts with junior Bucky Irving, who headlines the group. Standing at 5'10", 194 pounds, his tough and hard-nosed running style made it nearly impossible for just one defender to bring him down. The highly-coveted Minnesota transfer settled in quickly with the Ducks and tore up the turf on his way to 1,058 rushing yards and and five touchdowns on 156 carries.
He was named to Pro Football Focus' All-Pac-12 First Team and also chipped in 31 catches for 299 receiving yards and three touchdowns in the passing game.
READ MORE: USC transfer WR Gary Bryant Jr. visiting Oregon this month
Noah Whittington, served as the No. 2 back but only recorded 17 fewer carries than Irving. The Western Kentucky transfer surprised a lot of fans with his production after coming over from one of the nation's leading passing offenses in 2021.
He's the shortest back in the room, but the 5-foot-8, 194-pound Whittington keeps his feet churning for every yard and embodies toughness, one of Locklyn's key pillars in a running back. Whittington just might be the fastest back in the room and projects to improve on career highs set in 2022 of 779 rushing yards, 139 carries and five touchdowns.
After flipping from Georgia to Oregon late in the 2022 cycle, Sophomore Jordan James wasted no time finding his way onto the field. He played in nine of Oregon's 13 games as a true freshman, carving out a role as Locklyn's short-yardage and goal line back.
Former offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham liked to deploy the "14J" formation frequently, a jumbo package that featured extra offensive linemen along with fellow true freshman offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. Being one of the larger backs in the group at 5'10", 210 pounds James was at his most effective near the goal line and his five rushing touchdowns are the most by a true freshman Oregon running back since Royce Freeman had 18 in 2014.
Oregon's returning scholarship experience ends there, but there's plenty of young talent waiting in the wings.
READ MORE: Oregon Football 2024 Offensive Line Recruiting Hot Board
Dante Dowdell signed with the Ducks in 2023 and enrolled early as one of the most decorated running backs in the country. He won back-to-back state titles with the Picayune Maroon Tide, was named MVP in both title games and took home the Mississippi 5A Mr. Football award. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound back is fast and athletic and adds elite strength to boot that resembles that of Derrick Henry--his football idol.
Dowdell is more of a one-cut and run type of back and could have the most upside of the group.
Jayden Limar rounds out the group as a 5-foot-11, 190-pound do-it-all back. He set school records at Lake Stevens (Wash.) with 4,246 career rushing yards, 66 rushing touchdowns and 78 total touchdowns.
He enrolled early and could be a good change-of-pace option for the Ducks, as he reeled in 26 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns his senior season. But let's not play ourselves, Locklyn wouldn't have signed him if he didn't have some wiggle and toughness to his game as well.
Overall, running back just might be the deepest position on the 2023 spring roster. The offensive line sees some turnover and will play a big role in how effective the backs are, but the Ducks return all of their major running back production from the 2022 season and have all the tools to lead the Pac-12 in rushing next year.
READ MORE: The latest with top Oregon RB target Jason Brown Jr.
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