Projecting Oregon's Offensive Two-Deep Ahead of Spring Practice

The Ducks start spring practice later this week and should have another elite offense under Will Stein.

We're just a few days away from the start of spring practice and year three of the Dan Lanning era in Eugene.

It's always a fun exercises to project what the depth chart will look like, especially since it may change quite a bit between the spring and week 1 of the 2024 season.

Without further ado, here's my projection of for what the two-deep will look like.

Quarterback

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• Starter: Dillon Gabriel 
• Backup: Dante Moore
• Names to watch: Austin Novosad/Luke Moga

Analysis: Expect Gabriel to be the primary focus at quarterback this spring. He's got the most experience and production of anyone in the room and is presumed to be the best option to lead the offense in 2024. I'm more intrigued to see how UCLA transfer and Dante Moore compares to the rest of the quarterbacks in the room. Any momentum you have can grind to a real halt if you don't have a quality backup on your roster and it certainly feels like that's what the Ducks have in the former 5-star recruit. 

Running Back

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Jordan James
• Backup: Noah Whittington
• Names to watch: Jay Harris, Jayden Limar, Da'Jaun 'Dink' Riggs

Analysis: I know Whittington is the most experienced back in the room here, but I think James has done more than enough to prove that he's capable of being the lead back. I'm not sure if that'll be the case by the time the season comes around, but he's got the most juice of anyone in the room heading into spring.

I expect it to be a three-headed monster at running back, but Whittington is returning from a season-ending injury and Harris will have an adjustment period of some sort coming from the Division II level.

Wide Receiver

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• Starter: Evan Stewart 
• Backup: Jurrion Dickey
• Names to watch: Dillon Gresham

Analysis: Evan Stewart joins Oregon in 2024 with a lot of hype from Texas A&M. Fortunately for Junior Adams, he's lived up to the hype thus far after two strong seasons. Stewart could end up being the new No. 1 receiver for the Ducks following Troy Franklin's departure. 

I expect Dickey, a former five-star recruit, to carve out a much more significant role in year two, as he was one of the most athletic and physical receivers in his class. Gresham is going to be a fun wide receiver to track, as he had pretty crazy production during his high school career.

Wide Receiver

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• Starter: Traeshon Holden 
• Backup: Gary Bryant Jr.
• Names to watch: Kyler Kasper, Jeremiah McClellan

Analysis: Holden had a strong end to the 2023 season and should be due for more targets this year. He's a bigger wide receiver and gives the Ducks some height they lost with Franklin. Bryant is a top-four wide receiver on the team and I think he'll be heavily involved this year. Kasper enters a bit of a make or break year in his third season with the Ducks. He's a physical freak and was a matchup nightmare in high school, but we haven't seen much of him yet.

Slot Wide Receiver

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Tez Johnson
• Backup: Gary Bryant Jr.
• Names to watch: Justius Lowe, Ryan Pellum

Analysis: It might be hard to believe, but Johnson finished the year with more catches than Troy Franklin last year, and he eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark. He's twitchy, uber productive and has a great top gear. Who develops behind him will be fun to watch, and I think we could see one of the younger wideouts break through here.

Tight End

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Terrance Ferguson
• Backup: Patrick Herbert/Kenyon Sadiq
• Names to know: Roger Saleapaga, A.J. Pugliano

Analysis: We all know what the Ducks have in Ferguson at this point, and that's one of the better tight ends that's come through Eugene in recent years. He's closing in on historic marks and will be paired with a healthy Patrick Herbert. The unknown is how much of a jump Sadiq will make. He might be the most athletic of the bunch and he's got juice as a ballcarrier.

Left Tackle

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Josh Conerly Jr.
• Backup: Faoope Laloulu

Analysis: Conerly returns for his third year in Eugene and is expected to be a top tackle prospect in next year's NFL Draft. He's as athletic as they come and should be in store for another great season. The older of the two Laloulu brothers has developed nicely and saw some action last year.

Left Guard

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Marcus Harper II
• Backup: Kawika Rogers/Dave Iuli

Analysis: Harper is one of three returners from Oregon's Joe Moore Award finalist offensive line. He's been really solid ever since he was thrust into the starting lineup after Steven Jones was injured against Georgia in 2022. Rogers enters his third year in Eugene, but it's hard to say how much of a gap there is between him and Iuli, who also saw the field a bit in 2023.

Center

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Iapani 'Poncho' Laloulu 
• Backup: Marcus Harper II

Analysis: Oregon is moving on from Jackson Powers-Johnson with one of the best young offensive linemen in America. Despite only starting one game at center, Poncho saw a ton of action as true freshman and looked great in his first start against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Harper has spent a lot of time working at center or just snapping during his Oregon career and should be viewed as the main backup to Laloulu should he be needed.

Right Guard

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• Starter: Matthew Bedford
• Backup: Kawika Rogers/Dave Iuli

Analysis: The Ducks needed to replace their right guard with Steven Jones exhausting his college eligibility. While Poncho Laloulu played a lot of guard last year, he'll be taking over at center and Matthew Bedford should slot in at right guard after coming over from Indiana. He was one of the most experienced options available in the portal and the Ducks were able to swipe him from Colorado, where he was previously committed.

Right Tackle

Darby Winter/Ducks Digest

• Starter: Ajani Cornelius
• Backup: George Silva/Faoope Laloulu

Analysis: Cornelius had the chance to head to the NFL, but he instead opted to return for one last ride in Eugene. He was one of the most consistent pieces of A'lique Terry's offensive line last season and will be tasked with protecting Dillon Gabriel's blind side. Silva enters his second season with the Ducks after picking up football in the junior college ranks.

Make sure to keep reading Ducks Digest, as I'll project what the two-deep will look like for Tosh Lupoi's defense later this week.

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