Why Did Oregon Move 2 Defenders to RB? Latest Reports on Peach Bowl CFP Semi vs. Indiana
Ahead of their College Football Playoff clash with the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers on Friday night, the No. 5 Oregon Ducks reportedly moved two players from defense to running back in order to address injuries in their backfield.
According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, safety Kilohana Haasenritter and linebacker Brayden Platt both saw action at running back during the week.
Thamel added that Oregon's leading rusher, Noah Whittington, is questionable for Friday's game and considered a game-time decision due to an undisclosed injury.
On top of that, the Ducks are expected to be without second-leading rusher Jordon Davison after he broke his clavicle during the CFP quarterfinal win over Texas Tech, per Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian.
With Davison out, Whittington questionable and Jayden Limar in the transfer portal, Oregon has only two healthy running backs on scholarship in Dierre Hill Jr. and Jay Harris.
Whittington leads the Ducks this season with 829 rushing yards, while averaging 6.4 yards per carry and scoring six touchdowns. Davison, who is second on the team with 667 rushing yards, leads Oregon with 15 rushing touchdowns.
If Whittington is unable to play, Hill figures to receive the bulk of the workload out of the backfield for head coach Dan Lanning.
He has rushed for 570 yards and five touchdowns on 70 totes this season, and his yards-per-carry average of 8.1 is tops among Oregon running backs. His 112 receiving yards are also the most among Ducks running backs.
A defensive back and wide receiver in high school, Haasenritter has primarily played DB at Oregon, but he has spent some time at running back as well, rushing for 46 yards and one touchdown on nine carries in 2022.
Platt starred as both a linebacker and running back during his high school days, but he has yet to play on offense for the Ducks.
If Oregon is going to upset the No. 1 team in the nation and the only remaining undefeated program in FBS, much of that responsibility will likely land on the shoulders of quarterback Dante Moore.
Moore, who is a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft should he declare, has thrown for 3,280 yards, 28 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season, while also rushing for two scores.
Still, establishing a running game will be important, and it would help Lanning, Moore and Co. immensely if Whittington is able to suit up.
