Oregon Ducks Football: 7 Players Who Must Step Up in 2011

Going into the 2011 season the Oregon Ducks are going to have to replace several starters on both sides of the ball.  For the Ducks to have another outstanding season this year they will need certain guys to take on bigger roles for the team.

Some guys will be starting a college football game for the first time this season while others will be taking on new leadership roles for Oregon.

Here is a list of seven guys who need to step up in 2011 for Oregon to win the first ever Pac-12 Championship.

7. Taylor Hart, DT

Oregon will have two new starters at defensive tackle come their September 3^rd matchup with LSU.   Although no starters have been announced yet sophomore Taylor Hart is close to locking up one of those spots.

Hart is a big boy at 6’6” 275 pounds and had a good season in limited action in 2010.  Last year Hart made 18 tackles and a couple sacks coming off the bench and the Oregon coaches will need him to continue to play fast and aggressive as he transitions into his starting role.

6. Lavasier Tuinei, WR

When Jeff Maehl and DJ Davis graduated, the Ducks got very young at receiver.  Tuinei is the lone Oregon receiver with starting experience and will be counted on to have a solid season in 2011. 

A shoulder injury limited him near the end of the season but he looked good during his stints in the national championship.  At 6’6” Tuinei is the tallest receiver Oregon has by several inches and will be used to stretch the field to let the young speedy receivers run underneath. 

With so many new receivers on the field, Darron Thomas will be looking to the familiar Tuinei often to make the clutch catches.

5. Michael Clay, LB

After backing up former standout Spencer Paysinger for a couple seasons linebacker Michael Clay is ready for his time in the starting lineup.  In 2010 Clay was one of the first linebackers to come in off the bench for the Ducks so he has plenty of experience despite not starting a game in college yet.

Clay plays very aggressive and has great sideline-to-sideline speed.  Last season he totaled 42 tackles coming off the bench and should become one of the leaders of the 2011 Oregon defense.

4. Mark Asper, OT

Oregon will have three new starters on the offensive line for their season opener against LSU.  Mark Asper isn't one of those new guys. 

2011 will be Asper's third and final season starting on the Ducks offensive line. This season he will have to step up and become the leader of the group whose success will be crucial to the success of Oregon's offense as a whole. 

If the offensive line is not a cohesive unit as it has been in years past LaMichael James won't be able to have the same kind of success.

With that said, Oregon's O-line is a well coached group that should be ready when they strap on the pads in September.  The Ducks should not see a huge drop in production based on the new faces on the offensive line.

3. Eddie Pleasant, SS

Starting safety Eddie Pleasant has had an excellent career as a Duck and will hope to cap it off with an outstanding senior season.  Pleasant is a very unique talent that can line up at multiple positions on the defensive side of the ball, which is very rare. 

In 2009 Pleasant had a great season playing linebacker in his first year as a starter.  Many fans anticipated the return of all three linebackers in 2010 but Pleasant threw them a curveball by switching to the safety position. 

Pleasant was a bit undersized at linebacker but could see some time there this season after the graduation of Casey Matthews and Spencer Paysiner.  The one knock on Pleasant is his lack of interceptions, but with a strong senior season he could prove the doubters wrong.

2. Darron Thomas, QB

At this point in the summer, all signs point to Darron Thomas stepping it up big time for the Ducks.  Thomas is now an unquestioned leader for the Ducks as he approaches his second season as the starting quarterback. 

Last season he played very well but in 2011 Thomas will need to be great for Oregon to return to the National Championship. 

With new faces on the offensive line and at receiver, DT will need to be even sharper at executing Chip Kelly’s offense.  In Thomas’s second year as the starter Oregon has the chance to become the first champions of the Pac-12.

1. Anthony Gildon, CB

When Cliff Harris returns to the Ducks’ starting lineup expect a lot of balls to be thrown in the direction of Anthony Gildon.  As he approaches his senior season Gildon hopes that he can make his opportunity to start count.

Gildon has made eight starts in his Oregon career, including the 2010 Rose Bowl, but injuries have limited him throughout his career.  Unlike Harris, Gildon is not a spectacular athlete but he is a very reliable pass defender thanks to his lanky frame. 

If he can stay healthy in 2011 Gildon should have a senior season to be proud of when it’s all said and done.