It all starts at quarterback, and this is one of the two only real question marks on the team. Will the starter be Nathan Costa, a dual-threat like Dixon, Justin Roper or BYU transfer Cade Cooper? Once the position has been settled, the team should get back to some stability.
The other question mark is at running back. How do you replace Jonathan Stewart, who is now second on the school's career rushing leaders list? Head coach Bellotti went the JUCO route, and is pretty high on LeGarrette Blount, a pounding runner. They also have senior Jeremiah Johnson (who is a nightmare in spread-option formations) back, so while the excitement of Stewart will be gone, they still should have enough weaponry in their arsenal to keep the D honest.
The wide receiver unit is a little iffy, and really dependent on how consistent (read- minimizing dropped passes) Jaison Williams is. It's that simple. Well, that, and remaining injury-free. Last year Williams' stats were down from the previous year despite being thrown a lot of passes by Dennis Dixon. The Ducks get a possible boost from USC transfer Jamere Holland, another projected starter.
The O-line, despite losing LG Josh Tschirgi and RT Geoff Schwartz, will not suffer any let-down. Oregon has always had a strong offensive line with huge depth, and this year is no different. Center Max Unger, an All-American candidate, is back, as well as LT Fenuki Tupou and RG Mark Lewis.
Defense.
The D-line looks good to go. They have to replace two DTs, David Faaeteete and Jeremy Gibbs, but so far, it doesn't appear to be too big of a task. While the Ducks look secure on their ends, there is a depth issue on the line. Two JUCO's have been brought in to solidify the tackle positions. If the Ducks can avoid injuries, then the line should hold up.
The secondary will probably be the best in the country, hands down. They only lost two free safeties, which sounds like a big problem, but it's not, thanks to Rover Patrick Chung. He's First Team Pac-10 and the heart of the D. Throw in Walter Thurmond and Jairus Byrd, the two best corners in the Pac-10, and you have an opponent's quarterback's nightmare.
The linebacking unit has suffered numerous injuries, and this could be a problem if some others don't step up to the plate. They lost two linebackers, but that's not the problem- it's the others avoiding injury. Jerome Boyd is the only one to return with thirteen starts last year. John Bacon had nine starts last year, and the anticipation of Casey Matthews (yes, he's related to Clay and Bruce) erupting into a beast could add some spark.
Outlook.
Solve the quarterback issue (six of them have two career starts total) and everything falls into place. Sort of. There's also this little issue called a schedule. The Ducks host Washington in their opener, instead of a lower-division cream puff, and while the Huskies don't exactly look like national title contenders, this could be a rough start for the Ducks' inexperienced quarterback.
They also travel to Purdue, host Boise State, then travel to USC, Arizona State, Cal and Corvallis for their rivalry game against the Beavs. It may be too much to ask for an eight-win season, but then again, if they can split their road games and win their non-conference games, they will be right in the thick of it.
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