Oregon Ducks at Boise State Broncos: Preview, Part Four

In case you missed the first three parts of this series—parts one and two covered the offensive and defensive units for each team while part three covered other various aspects of the game. I recommend all three parts if you have not already read them.

One variable left out in part three that could make a difference in the game is the players who were not on the field last year. So, part four will address the incoming freshmen and returning red shirts who could see some playing time during the opening game.

These types of players are huge unknowns because this will be their first time in a real college stadium playing in a real college game. They aren’t playing against high-schoolers or even the scout teams anymore.

Which players have the ability to step up and make an impact on the game despite the nerves and the pressure and their own inexperience?

Offense

Oregon will have a couple four-star recruits at WR in Tyrece Gaines and Diante Jackson. Gaines has the size (6’2” 225) and speed (4.4 40) to make a difference now.

The offensive line will get some needed help from two red shirts, Hamani Stevens and Nick Cody. There’s a good chance that Stevens will be a starter at some point during the season, if not for the opener.

Boise State will have RB Malcolm Johnson from Gresham, Oregon. He has shown incredible speed and the ability to break tackles in the Les Schwab Bowl. It will be interesting to see if Boise State decides to red shirt him due the depth the Broncos have at running back.

Also coming to Boise will be QB Kellen Moore’s younger brother Kirby at wide receiver. While not highly recruited, Kirby has an advantage because of the time he spends with Kellen, which should help him learn the offense faster and build the chemistry necessary between a quarterback and receiver.

Defense

The top defensive recruit for Oregon is CB Cliff Harris. It is doubtful he will play this season because the Ducks already have a lot of depth in the secondary. But if Harris does make it onto the field, the only way to tell he is a freshman will be by his size (6’0” 165).

The Ducks also have a potential difference maker in JC transfer LB Bryson Littlejohn. He and freshman Boseko Lokombo will add depth to a quickly improving group of linebackers.

For the Broncos, the biggest impact will come on the defensive line with red shirt Michael Atkinson (pictured above). Not only does he have size (6’0” 320), he has speed as well. He ran for over 1,000 yards as a fullback in high school.

The Broncos will also get help in the secondary from JC transfer Winston Venable.

The sleeper for Boise State is DT Ricky Tjong-A-Tjoe, who moved to Idaho from the Netherlands before his senior year of high school. Because he only has one year of experience with organized football, he might not be able to make it at the college level. But it’s safe to say his upside is huge.

I don't want to declare an advantage for either team on this issue because there's a possibility none of these players will even play. Oregon definitely had a better recruiting class, but Boise State will get more support from the red shirts.

Keep an eye on these guys whether or not they make a difference in this game—they will all be major players for each team in seasons down the road.

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