Oregon Football: Finalizing the Ducks' Week 1 Depth Chart

It's finally here.

After a long offseason that saw many surprises, we are just days away from the start of the 2012 Oregon Ducks football season.

The Ducks open their season against Arkansas State of the Sun Belt Conference at Autzen Stadium.

Last week, the Ducks released their two-deep depth chart so we have a good look at who will be receiving playing time versus Arkansas State.

Quarterback

Starter: Marcus Mariota (RFr.)

Back-up: Bryan Bennett (RSo.)

3rd-String: Jake Rodrigues (Fr.) or Dustin Haines (Jr.)

Marcus Mariota, who won the starting job last Friday, will start off the 2012 season for the Ducks.

His back-up, Bryan Bennett—who also backed-up Darron Thomas and just narrowly lost the starting job to Mariota—should receive some playing time against the Red Wolves as the game progresses. If anything were to happen to Mariota, Oregon can rest easy knowing that Bennett is not a drop-off at the position what so ever.

For third string, it's a toss up between freshmen Jake Rodrigues and junior walk-on Dustin Haines. Rodrigues was expected to red shirt this season, but no information on that has been avaiable yet.

Running Back

Starter: Kenjon Barner (RSr.)

Back-up: De'Anthony Thomas (So.)

3rd-String: Byron Marshall (Fr.) and Kenny Bassett (So.)

Like everyone expected, Kenjon Barner is the Ducks official starter this season.

All-purpose machine De'Anthony Thomas is his back-up but should be receiving close to equal amount of carries this season.

For third string, expect the Ducks to use Byron Marshall and expect to see a lot of him in the later stages of the game as the Ducks rest their starters.

Marshall has been receiving raves of praise in fall camp and gives the Ducks another speed back, with a slightly bigger build then Barner or Thomas do—at 5'10", 201 lbs.

Walk-on Kenny Bassett should receive some carries as well. 

Wide Receiver

Starters: Josh Huff (Jr.), Keanon Lowe (So.) and Daryle Hawkins (Jr.)

Back-ups: Eric Dungy (So.), BJ Kelly (RFr.) and Bralon Addison (Fr.)

Huff and converted quarterback Hawkins will be starting at wide receiver, while Lowe will be playing in the slot.

Huff is the only returning starter in this group.

Notably missing from the two-deep is Rashaan Vaughn and Devon Blackmon.

Vaughn saw more playing time then any of the receivers listed in the two-deep, the exception being Huff, and Blackmon was the Ducks top-rated receiver from the 2011 recruiting class.

Surprises on the list include Dungy, the son of NFL coach Tony Dungy and Bralon Addison.

Addison has been receiving a lot of praise during camp for his big-play ability, and has drawn comparisons to De'Anthony Thomas, but to see him as the back-up to Hawkins is a bit surprising.

Tight End

Starter(s): Colt Lyerla (So.), or Pharaoh Brown (Fr.), or TJ Daniel (Fr.), or Koa Ka'ai (So.)

Confused? Don't be.

Oregon listed four tight ends as the starter in their depth chart and it now remains a mystery as to who will start against Arkansas State.

Lyerla was expected to be the starter, but after missing the first week of fall camp for what many assume to be a grade issue he has apparently been deemed so out of it that two freshmen and a first year converted tight end have a chance at leap-frogging him on the depth chart.

Offensive Line

Right Tackle:  Starter - Jake Fisher (So.) Back-up - Everett Beynard III (Jr.)

Right Guard: Starter - Nick Cody (Sr.) Back-up - Hamani Stevens (So.)

Center: Starter - Hroniss Grassu (RSo.) Back-up - Karrington Armstrong (Jr.)

Left Guard: Starter - Ryan Clanton (Sr.) Back-up - Mana Greig (Jr.)

Left Tackle: Starter - Tyler Johnstone (RFr.) Back-up - Kyle Long (Sr.)

It appears that Carson York is not yet ready to go after blowing out his knee against Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl. Replacing him at left guard is Ryan Clanton who saw playing time last year for the Ducks.

Back is center Hroniss Grassu, who was named to the pre-season watch-list for the Rimington Trophy given to the nations top center.

JUCO transfer Kyle Long is not slated to start the game, but expect to see him on the field a lot this season as he gives the Ducks a big, physical lineman at 6'7 and 311 lbs.

Missing from the two-deep is red shirt freshman Andre Yruretagoyena, a four-star prospect coming out of high school.

Defensive End

Starters: Dion Jordan (Sr.) and Taylor Hart (Jr.)

Back-ups: Arik Armstead (Fr.), Tony Washington (So.), and Deforrest Buckner (Fr.)

Jordan is my pre-season pick for Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, along with another Duck.

Jordan is a tall, lean pass rusher that had no struggle rushing the passer and getting the sack on the quarterback.

Hart saw playing time last season and replaces Terrell Turner as the starter.

Armstead is the best defensive prospect to sign with the Ducks since Haloti Ngata did back in 2002.

Armstead enrolled in spring and forced a fumble in the Spring Game. Don't be surprised if he overtakes Hart once he gets his feet wet.

Defensive Tackles

Starters: Wade Kelikippi (Jr.) and Issac Remington (Sr.)

Back-up: Ricky Heimulli (Jr.) and Jared Ebert (Jr.)

Possibly the strongest and deepest position for the Ducks this season is going to be at defensive tackle. When your top three could all start and not a single person would bat an eye, you know you have no worries.

Kelikippi and Remington are pegged as the starters, but Ricky Heimulli offers another big body and is not a drop-off at all.

Cycling so many players into the rotation on defense has payed dividends for the Ducks as they have some of the greatest depth on defense in the nation.

Linebackers

Middle Linebacker: Starter - Kiko Alonso (Sr.) Back-ups - Rahim Cassell (RFr.) and Anthony Wallace (So.)

SLB: Starter - Boseko Lokombo (Jr.) Back-up - Tyson Coleman (RFr.)

WLB: Starter - Michael Clay (Sr.) Back-up - Derrick Malone (So.)

Oregon returns Alonso and Clay as starters from last season at linebacker. Alonso's back-up, Anthony Wallace, saw the field last season and was a four-star prospect coming out of high school.

Boskeo Lokombo replaces Josh Kaddu, but is going to be primarily used as a pass rusher.

Lokombo is going to be playing in a very similar fashion to former Duck Kenny Rowe.

Cornerback

Starters: Ifo Ekpre Olomu (So.) and Terrence Mitchell (So.)

Back-ups: Dior Mathis (RSo.) and Troy Hill (So.)

Oregon brings back both of their starters at corner from last season, which is huge considering they are both sophomores.

The cornerback position is reportedly an eight-deep situation which means you can expect to see these guys cycled through a lot.

Mathis and Hill offer good back-ups who also saw the field last season.

Safety

Starters: John Boyett (Sr.) and Brian Jackson (Jr.)

Back-ups: Avery Patterson (Jr.) and Erick Dargan (So.)

Boyett continues to add to an already deep secondary.

A pre-season All-American candidate, Boyett is going to be one of the top safeties in the country, and is going to take some of the pressure off of his opposite, Brian Jackson, at SS.

Jackson was one of the Ducks' hardest workers this off-season and is going to have a break out season.

Dargan and Patterson are ironically from the same high school out of Pittsburg, California.

Patterson was fifth on the team in tackles last season with 55, and could finish in the top three in 2012.

Special Teams

Kick-off: Alejandro Maldonado (Jr.)

Field Goals: Robe Beard (Sr.)

KR: De'Anthony Thomas (So.) and Josh Huff (Jr,)

PR: De'Anthony Thomas (So.)

Punter: Jackson Rice (Sr.)

Not much is changing from a season ago.

Thomas is still going to bring his explosiveness to the return game and Rice is going to be the best punter in the nation.

Huff is replacing Barner on kick off returns in an attempt to keep Barner healthy and allow him to focus on playing running back.

What the Ducks need is for Maldonado and Beard to not miss field goals—as they did last year—including one that destroyed their chance at the BCS Title Game.