Oregon Football 2012: Breaking Down Spring Practice

Another season under head coach Chip Kelly, another BCS bowl and a double-digit-win season. Fans expect nothing less of the extremely talented Ducks, especially in a watered-down Pac-12 Conference.

This season, Oregon returns a total of 14 starters, including eight on the defensive side of the ball. But life isn't so sweet in Eugene, as the Ducks do have a few issues to straighten out before they can contend for a national championship. Their Heisman finalist running back is no longer on the roster and they watched their quarterback leave at the last minute.

The good news for them is that they have spring practice to figure things out, and it will kick off on April 3 for the Ducks.

Here is Oregon's spring practice breakdown.

Spring Rosters

With the spring game less than 24 hours away from kicking off, the rosters for the game have been released. Click here for more info on the spring game.

Schedule

Oregon kicks off their spring practice on April 3 and prepares for the spring game that takes place on April 28.

Offensive Depth Chart

Quarterback: Bryan Bennett, Marcus Mariota

Running Back: Kenjon Barner, De'Anthony Thomas

Wide Receiver: Josh Huff, Will Murphy

Wide Receiver: Daryle Hawkins, B.J. Kelly

Wide Receiver: Rahsaan Vaughn, Keanon Lowe

Tight End: Colt Lyerla, Curtis White

Offensive Tackle: Jake Fisher, Everett Benyard

Offensive Guard: Nick Cody, Trevor Fox

Center: Hroniss Grasu, Karrington Armstrong

Offensive Guard: Carson York, Mana Grieg

Offensive Tackle: Ryan Clanton, Kyle Long

Defensive and Special Teams Depth Chart

Defensive End: Tony Washington, Koa Ka'ai

Defensive Tackle: Wade Keliikipi, Ricky Heimuli

Defensive Tackle: Taylor Hart, Isaac Remington

Defensive End: Dion Jordan, Sam Kamp

Strong-side Linebacker: Boseko Lokombo, Keloni Kamalani

Middle Linebacker: Kiko Alonso, Anthony Wallace

Weak-side Linebacker: Michael Clay, Rodney Hardrick

Cornerback: Terrance Mitchell, Dior Mathis

Cornerback: Troy Hill, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu

Rover: Brian Jackson, Avery Patterson

Free Safety: John Boyett, Erick Dargan

Kicker: Alejandro Maldonado

Punter: Jackson Rice

Best Position Battle

Anytime the quarterback position is open, it has to be the most interesting battle. Darron Thomas was going to be the starting quarterback, but he socked us all and left early for the NFL. Now it is likely between backup Bryan Bennett and redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota.

Bennett is a dual-threat quarterback much like Darron Thomas, but is even faster than last year's starter. He is the early favorite to become the starter for the Ducks.

We've already seen a little bit of what Bennett is capable of; in last year's game against Colorado, he threw for 155 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Bennett also ran for more than 20 yards four times his freshman year.

Although Mariota was only a 3-star quarterback coming out of high school in 2010, there is a lot of hype for him this spring. He's somebody who is more comfortable throwing the football than Bennett and also has size in his favor (6'4").

Mariota is also capable of beating you with his legs, but experience may be an issue here. In the quick no-huddle offense, it may take time before Mariota is ready to take over the team.

Regardless, this is a very interesting battle heading into spring.

Big Man on Campus

You could make an argument for a few defensive players in this spot, but none are as explosive as running back/wide receiver De'Anthony Thomas. He is one of the fastest players in college football and is a threat to take it the distance every time the ball is in his hands.

Last season, Thomas averaged nearly 11 yards per carry and over 13 yards per catch.

I know Oregon's offense is loaded with talent, but Anthony is the guy that every defense worries about. Look for him to have an even bigger season with LaMichael James now in the NFL.

Big Shoes to Fill

We just talked about how talented De'Anthony Thomas is, but because of his small frame, he won't have the huge task of replacing running back LaMichael James.

Nope, that will fall in the hands of senior back Kenjon Barner.

Barner has averaged 100 carries during his first three seasons, and has run for 1,856 yards while scoring 25 total touchdowns. But he's never carried the ball over 152 times in a season, which will likely happen for the first time.

Barner has shown he's got the skills to get the job done, as he's averaged six yards a touch throughout his career. But replacing a Heisman finalist and somebody who ran for over 5,000 yards and scored 57 touchdowns in three seasons is no easy task. 

Other Questions to Answer

Replacing tight end David Paulson is something the Ducks will have to figure out. He wasn't exactly huge on the statistic side of things, but was a leader on the football team enough for him to be named co-most valuable player on the team.

Sophomore Colt Lyerla will likely be Paulson's replacement, as he caught seven passes for five touchdowns last season.

Another area of concern is the secondary. With all of the talent in the defensive backfield, there's no excuse for the Ducks to be ranked 88th in the country in passing defense. Injuries and off-the-field incidents didn't help, but this unit has to play better.

Good news is that majority of the starters are still on the team, but it's going to be something to watch for. Oregon can't contend for a BCS National Championship if the secondary can't get their act together.