Oregon Football: Depth Chart Analysis, Complete 2015 Preview and Predictions
For the second time in five years, Oregon spent the offseason looking back on a successful campaign but one that came up just short of the ultimate goal: a national championship. The Ducks' 42-20 loss to Ohio State in the title game in January made for an unsatisfying finish to an otherwise stellar 13-2 season.
But unlike after losing in the final moments to Auburn in the 2011 BCS championship game, the Ducks have to try to move forward with a very different team.
"It’s no secret there is a leadership void that must be filled at Oregon this fall," Ryan Thornburn of the Eugene Register-Guard wrote, noting the loss of starters on the offensive and defensive line in the secondary and most notably Heisman-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota.
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Those departures have put an added emphasis on whether Oregon's "system" can continue to succeed even when so many significant pieces have changed from one year to the next. The offense has ranked in the top five every year since 2010, and during that span the defense has had 11 players taken in the NFL draft.
These losses, however, could be more significant than in the past.
Nevertheless, Oregon is still highly rated heading into the 2015 season, sitting at fifth in the Amway Coaches Poll and seventh in the Associated Press preseason ranking. The defending Pac-12 champions are also projected to win the North Division again, but conference media members have them losing to USC in the title game in December.
It will be far from a rebuilding year in Eugene, yet it also won't be one that's brimming with overconfidence.
Follow along as we take a detailed look at Oregon's 2015 team:
Coaches
| Mark Helfrich | Head Coach | 7th |
| Scott Frost | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach | 7th |
| Don Pellum | Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach | 23rd |
| Steve Greatwood | Assistant Head Coach/Running Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach | 29th |
| Gary Campbell | Running Backs Coach | 33rd |
| Matt Lubick | Passing Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach | 3rd |
| Tom Osborne | Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach | 9th |
| Ron Aiken | Defensive Line Coach | 3rd |
| Erik Chinander | Outside Linebackers Coach | 2nd |
| John Neal | Passing Game Coordinator/Secondary Coach | 13th |
| Jim Radcliffe | Strength and Conditioning Coach | 31st |
The exact same staff members who were on the sidelines for last season's national title game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will be wearing their school-issued polo shirts and khakis again this fall.
That shouldn't be a surprise. Oregon has traditionally had one of the most consistent sets of coaches in FBS, with five entering at least their 13th year with the program and four having logged more than 20 seasons.
Head coach Mark Helfrich is entering his third season in charge of Oregon, but he's been on staff since 2009. That's the same year current offensive coordinator Scott Frost joined the Ducks as receivers coach.
That coaching consistency will go a long way toward handling any issues that come with putting new starters in key roles such as quarterback and in the secondary, because the coaches handling those positions have been through such turnover several times before.
What to watch for on offense
| Quarterback | Jeff Lockie | Vernon Adams |
| Running Back | Royce Freeman | Byron Marshall |
| Wide Receiver | Byron Marshall | Malik Lovette |
| Wide Receiver | Bralon Addison | Alex Ofodile |
| Wide Receiver | Dwayne Stanford | Charles Nelson |
| Tight End | Evan Baylis | Johnny Mundt |
| Left Tackle | Tyler Johnstone | Elijiah George |
| Left Guard | Jake Pisarcik | Evan Voeller |
| Center | Matt Hegarty | Doug Brenner |
| Right Guard | Cameron Hunt | Haniteli Lousi |
| Right Tackle | Tyrell Crosby | Braden Eggert |
Oregon's spread offense is as good as it gets in college football, having averaged more than 540 yards and 47 points per game over the past five seasons. The run-pass balance is exceptional, having produced a 2,500-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher each year and having some of the most prolific dual-threat quarterbacks around.
The same is expected in 2015. We just don't know which quarterback will be putting up those numbers or whether it will be just one.
Mariota's jump to the NFL created a big opening for a new star to step in, and the Ducks have two great options: junior Jeff Lockie and senior Vernon Adams. Lockie served as Mariota's backup last season, while Adams starred for three years at Eastern Washington before joining the Ducks this summer.
Adams announced in February he was coming to Oregon, but because of unfinished classwork he didn't complete his degree (and thus wasn't able to immediately play as a graduate transfer) until Aug. 12 after passing a final class exam that had much of the college football world on the edge of its seat.
Many declared Adams the successor to Mariota months ago, based on the 5'11", 201-pounder's great numbers at the FCS level that included throwing for seven touchdowns in 2014 against Washington and accounted for 518 yards of total offense and six TDs in a 2013 upset of Oregon State. But Lockie took advantage of getting all of the first-team snaps during spring practice and showed he wasn't going to let Adams take the job without a fight.
As a result, Lockie appears to be the leader in the QB competition and in line to start Oregon's Sept. 5 opener against Adams' old team. No official decision has been made, however.
The rest of Oregon's offense also features an abundance of options, with the exception possibly being at running back. Sophomore Royce Freeman is firmly entrenched as the starter after setting a freshman school rushing record with 1,365 yards and 18 TDs a year ago, but after him there's uncertainty.
Thomas Tyner, who has run for 1,284 yards and 14 TDs in two seasons, is out for the year after needing shoulder surgery. This could lead to returning Byron Marshall (1,038 rushing yards, 14 TDs in 2013) to the backfield after he was Oregon's leading receiver last year, while freshmen Tony Brooks-James and Taj Griffin could also see significant action.
Oregon's receiving corps is also dealing with injuries to some key players from a year ago, but there are no shortage of weapons. That includes some first-year players from the Ducks' 16th-ranked recruiting class such as Malik Lovette, Kirk Merritt and Alex Ofodile, as well as junior Bralon Addison, who missed all of 2014 with a knee injury.
"Even with Darren Carrington facing a half-season suspension from the NCAA and both Devon Allen and tight end Pharaoh Brown recovering from knee surgeries, the Ducks are deepest at receiver," Andrew Greif of the Oregonian wrote.
The Ducks line battled through numerous injuries in 2014 but should still be this season, despite losing three starters. A healthy Tyler Johnstone at left tackle and the veteran play of Notre Dame grad transfer Matt Hegarty at center are huge boosts up front.
What to watch for on defense
| Defensive End | DeForest Buckner | Henry Mondeaux |
| Nose Tackle | Alex Balducci | Austin Maloata |
| Defensive End | T.J. Daniel | Tui Talia |
| Outside Linebacker | Christian French | Torrodney Prevot |
| Inside Linebacker | Rodney Hardrick | Danny Mattingly |
| Inside Linebacker | Joe Walker | Jimmie Swain |
| Outside Linebacker | Tyson Coleman | Johnny Ragin III |
| Cornerback | Chris Seisay | Ugo Amadi |
| Free Safety | Tyree Robinson | Juwaan Williams |
| Strong Safety | Reggie Daniels | Khalil Oliver |
| Cornerback | Arrion Springs | Ty Griffin |
Options abound all over for Oregon on the defensive side of the ball, but in most cases these are made up of mostly players who are getting rave reviews about their potential and promise rather than past performance. Six starters either graduated or turned pro, and many of those openings figure to be filled by players who didn't see much time in 2014.
There's thankfully at least one veteran returning at each level of the defense, led by defensive end DeForest Buckner. The 6'7", 290-pound senior led Oregon with 13 tackles for loss along with four sacks and 81 total tackles.
The linebacker corps is the most veteran unit on the Ducks' defense, with the quartet of seniors Tyson Coleman, Christian French, Rodney Hardrick combining for 40 starts a year ago. French, who was a reserve all year, led Oregon with 6.5 sacks.
It's a completely different story in the secondary, where safety Reggie Daniels stands. The junior had one interception last year—while departees Erick Dargan and Ifo Ekpre-Olomu had nine—and he'll be the veteran of a unit that might end up starting freshmen and sophomores at the other three spots.
What to watch for on special teams
| Punter | Ian Wheeler | Matt Wogan |
| Kicker | Aidan Schneider | Matt Wogan |
| Long Snapper | Tanner Carew | Devin Melendez |
| Holder | Taylor Alie | N/A |
| Punt Returner | Charles Nelson | Bralon Addison |
| Kick Returner | Charles Nelson | Bralon Addison |
| Kickoff Specialist | Matt Wogan | Aidan Schneider |
Special teams haven't been a major strength for Oregon in recent years, though last season a solid punt return unit produced two touchdowns from Charles Nelson and a 12.89-yard average that ranked 12th in the country. Nelson should be back in that role again, as well as on kickoffs, while fellow receiver Bralon Addison figures to get a look as well.
The Ducks were one of the worst punting teams in the country in 2014, ranking 101st behind Ian Wheeler's 39.15 average. Then again, they only kicked it 47 times in 15 games, and with a tendency to go for it on fourth down, quite often there's not been much of a need for a great punting game.
Place kicking saw a major improvement last year in the form of freshman Aidan Schneider and sophomore Matt Wogan. The pair combined to make 18 of 21 field goals, the most for Oregon since 2008 when it required 27 attempts.
Injury news
| Thomas Tyner | Shoulder | Out for season |
| Devon Allen | Knee | Unknown |
| Pharaoh Brown | Knee | Unknown |
Various projected starters and contributors have missed time here and there during training camp, but none of those injuries has risen to the level of where they will hinder a player from being ready for the regular season. All of Oregon's most notable injuries happened long ago and have lingered.
A shoulder injury sustained midway through the 2014 season caused running back Tyner to miss time, but he ended up starting the national title game against Ohio State. However, pain from that ailment never went away, and in early August he had surgery that put him on the shelf until 2016.
Allen injured his knee on a kickoff return in the Rose Bowl, and the receiver hasn't played since. Tight end Brown was hurt in a November win at Utah and almost needed to have his leg amputated as a result. Both hope to return at some point in 2015, though exactly when hasn't been determined.
X-factor
Even with uncertainty remaining at quarterback, Oregon's offense shouldn't pose a concern for anyone. Last year that unit showed that injuries on the offensive line and youth at the receiving corps couldn't slow it down, and similar questions to the 2015 offense figure to be answered with another set of scoreboard-abusing performances.
It's the Ducks' defense that might ultimately determine if they can return to the playoffs or have what would amount to a down year, which for Oregon might still result in 10 wins.
With that in mind, Helfrich recently labeled senior defensive end Buckner as the key to every positive that will happen for Oregon on that side of the ball.
"Ten guys can do their job perfectly, but DeForest Buckner is the ‘X’ factor and can just wreck shop and make a play," Helfrich said, per Ryan Kostecka of the Daily Emerald. "When one of your best guys is one of your best practice players, it means a ton."
Much like Mariota was to last year's team, Buckner is the player who will make or break this season for the Ducks.
2015 schedule
| Sept. 5 | Eastern Washington | Eugene, Oregon |
| Sept. 12 | Michigan State | East Lansing, Michigan |
| Sept. 19 | Georgia State | Eugene |
| Sept. 26 | Utah | Eugene |
| Oct. 3 | Colorado | Boulder, Colorado |
| Oct. 10 | Washington State | Eugene |
| Oct. 17 | Washington | Seattle |
| Oct. 29 | Arizona State | Tempe, Arizona |
| Nov. 7 | California | Eugene |
| Nov. 14 | Stanford | Palo Alto, California |
| Nov. 21 | USC | Eugene |
| Nov. 27 | Oregon State | Eugene |
Oregon will again be involved in one of the biggest early-season nonconference games, making the return trip to East Lansing to face a Michigan State team it rallied to beat at home last September.
MSU is one of the most veteran teams in the country, with fifth-year senior starts at quarterback and on both the offensive and defensive line. The Spartans will serve as the first real test for whoever wins the Ducks' QB job.
After that, Oregon's schedule eases up for a long stretch, to the point that the team we see playing in various different uniform combinations over the final month of the season should be far more cohesive than the unit that's out there during the first month. From Sept. 19 through Oct. 17, the Ducks play five teams that combined to win 23 games last season, with the toughest foe (Utah) coming to Eugene for the Pac-12 opener Sept. 26.
Barring unexpected slip-ups in the middle of the year, the Ducks' season will come down to those final five games, a gauntlet that starts with a Thursday night trip to Arizona State and also includes a trip to Stanford for the annual de facto Pac-12 North title game. Oregon then finishes with a potential conference final preview against visiting USC before hosting Oregon State in the Civil War.
Prediction
Oregon has a streak of seven consecutive years with at least 10 victories, tied with Alabama for the longest active streak in FBS. This team is more than capable of added to that run, but it might require a bowl win to get there.
The early test at Michigan State will set the stage for the rest of the Ducks' season, particularly if the quarterback play in that game is uneven, but it won't dictate if they're playoff-worthy. Getting the defense to come together and improve on last year's No. 89 ranking will, though—they don't want to have to win shootouts all season.
If the light midsection of the 2015 schedule allows for growth and development, Oregon will be one of the most dangerous teams in the country down the stretch. But that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be able to beat everyone in the Pac-12, and winning the North Division isn't a certainty without a victory over Stanford.
Overall record: 9-3
Conference record: 6-2
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All statistics provided by CFBStats.com.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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