Oregon Football: Top 10 Players for the 2012 Season

The Oregon Ducks have been one of the more exciting teams to watch over the years and it should be no different this time around. Returning 12 starters from a year ago, including seven on the defensive side of the ball, the Ducks should once again be one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 and a dark horse for the national championship.

The Ducks are loaded on the offensive side of the ball, with speedsters at the running back position. They also have a very underrated defense that features several difference makers.

But if you had to pick some of the most important players on the 2012 roster, who would they be?

As we get closer to the college football season kicking off, here are the top 10 most important players on the 2012 Oregon Ducks football team.

10. Cornerback: Terrance Mitchell

Mitchell was not a highly recruited player in 2010, but he sure proved that he can play the game of football his redshirt freshman season. He led the team with 10 pass breakups, forced a fumble and intercepted two passes in 12 starts. Now with a year under his belt, the playmaker in the defensive backfield should really make some noise his sophomore season.

9. Tight End: Colt Lyerla

Just watching this video of sophomore tight end Colt Lyerla displays some of his athletic ability.

He only caught seven passes last year as a true freshman, but five of those receptions went for touchdowns. Now that David Paulson is a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lyerla will have to take his game to the next level to fill Paulson's big shoes. The Ducks don't exactly have great wide receivers, so the tight end position has to step up to fill some of those holes.

At 6'5", 238 pounds, I expect to see big things from Lyerla, as he is now the full-time starter.

8. Defensive Tackle: Taylor Hart

Hart may not get the attention he deserves, but he is about as valuable as anyone on this front seven from Oregon. He is only one of two players that started all 14 games last season and earned honorable mention All-Pac-12 honors. His numbers don't jump off the charts, (44 tackles and 2.5 sacks) but he is a tough player and a leader on the defensive front.

Hart has the ability to play both the defensive end and tackle positions. With Terrell Turner gone, do not be surprised if Hart's numbers increase and you know who the junior defensive lineman is by the end of the year.

7. Quarterback: Marcus Mariota

Oregon has yet to name a starting quarterback to replace Darron Thomas, who surprised everyone declaring for the NFL draft a year early. However, quarterback Marcus Mariota looks like he is the early front-runner to claim the position. He looked tremendous in the spring game, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 202 yards.

He has outplayed last year's backup Bryan Bennett and has the dual-threat ability to make himself a very intriguing candidate for the starting position. With all of the speed Oregon already has on offense, having a quarterback who can also run makes this unit that much more difficult to slow down.

6. Left Guard: Carson York

Carson York has been a three-year starter at offensive guard for the Oregon Ducks and will be a huge part of an offensive line that lost a couple of key starters during the offseason. The problem is that he suffered a knee injury in the Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin and may not be ready to go by the time the season arrives.

The good news is that the Ducks don't have a very difficult schedule until the month of October kicks in. If the senior guard only ends up missing a month of the season, Oregon offensive line will be in much better shape than the offensive line than it is right now. (You can check out the video to see how his recovery process is going)

5. Running Back: Kenjon Barner

Running back LaMichael James may have received the majority of the credit the last couple of years, but Kenjon Barner was quietly doing his thing in the background as well. In the last three years, he has averaged over six yards a carry and scored a combined 25 touchdowns. Now that James is in the NFL, Barner will have his chance to really prove what he is made of.

The senior running back is small at 5'11", 180 pounds, but he has great speed and will provide a great 1-2 punch along with speedster De'Anthony Thomas.

4. Free Safety: John Boyett

There are not too many safeties that have been as productive as John Boyett the last few years. He has been one of the top tacklers for this team the last three years, leading the team in 2009 and 2011. He also stays remarkably healthy, only missing one game in his entire Ducks career.

Boyett is solid in pass coverage, can make plays in the backfield and even blocked a couple kicks last season. Entering his senior year, Boyett is a leader on and off the field and has been named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list.

3. Defensive End: Dion Jordan

Jordan began his career at the tight end position, but I think it is safe to say that he found his niche on the defensive side of the ball. For the second straight season, he was productive at defensive end, leading the team last season with 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

He is a huge weapon to have on defense due to his size at 6'7", 241 pounds. He can obviously rush the passer, but is solid at dropping back in coverage as well and is a matchup nightmare for opposing offensive players. He was named All-Pac 12 first team last season and would like to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play the defensive end position.

2. Linebacker: Michael Clay

Michael Clay finally had a chance to start full-time last season and didn't disappoint anybody, finishing the year with 102 tackles, three sacks and a couple of interceptions. In the Rose Bowl victory over Wisconsin alone, he racked up 13 tackles, including two for losses. 

Clay is not the biggest player in the world at 5'11", 219 pounds, but he makes plays all over the football field. Heading into his senior season, the middle linebacker is also the voice of this defense. Expect another monster year from Clay, as he continues to improve his NFL draft stock with every game.

1. RB/WR: De'Anthony Thomas

Is there any player that is more explosive than De'Anthony Thomas? I truly believe this guy outruns his own shadow as even some of the fastest players in college football cannot keep up with this type of speed.

Thomas is a player who can lineup all over the field. He rushed for over 500 yards last season, led the team in receiving yards and played special teams. With LaMichael James gone, he will likely receive a few more touches than he did last year.

Thomas can do it all, and that is why he is the most important player for the Oregon Ducks.