Oregon Football 2011: The 6 Best Offensive Players on the Squad

The University of Oregon football team has had a very interesting off-season away from the field.  Luckily for the Ducks summer practices are upon us and they can keep their attention on the game itself.

Since Chip Kelly's arrival on campus the Ducks have consistently had one of the best offenses in the nation.  Although the offensive system has gotten a lot of praise the players themselves deserve a lot of credit.

As we shift our attention to who will be making the big plays in 2011, here is a list of the six best players on the Oregon offense.

6. David Paulson

Out of all of Oregon’s offensive weapons tight end David Paulson is by far the most underrated.  Last season in his first year as a starter Paulson led the Ducks with the most receptions of 20 yards or more. 

Although he will not wow anyone with his speed or size Paulson has been a tremendously dependable tight end for Oregon. 

What makes Paulson unique is ability to sneak behind defenders and find the hole in the zone for Darron Thomas to throw the ball.  With so many new faces at receiver in 2011 Paulson should see plenty of balls thrown his way.

5. Mark Asper

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.  The 2011 season will be Asper's third and final one 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.

4. Lavasier Tuinei

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.

3. Kenjon Barner

Around the country LaMichael James is known as the face of the Oregon back field but he is just one of many talented backs. His main “backup” is Kenjon Barner, who posses much of the same speed and agility that James has.

Last season Barner missed several games due to a severe concussion he suffered returning a kickoff against Washington State, and his carries were limited following his return. Despite that, he still averaged six yards a carry for the second season in a row. 

James and Barner will likely be on the field at the same time a lot this season, which should scare defenses.

2. Darron Thomas

When Oregon fans saw Darron Thomas throw multiple touchdown passes against Boise State as a true freshman they knew he'd be good but maybe not this good.  In his first season as a starter Thomas took command of the Oregon offense and helped make it the highest scoring offense in the country.

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 game. 

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. LaMichael James

Of all of the gifted athletes on the Oregon football roster, none is more talented than LaMichael James. He is arguably the fastest player on the team in addition to being one of the strongest despite his size. The 2010 season was a breakout one for James and, after being a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, he wants to put up even better numbers this year. 

Unfortunately for James, the Ducks’ depth at running back may prevent him from doing so. Kenjon Barner, Lache Seastruck and DeAnthony Thomas all expect to get touches in relief of James. Look for the Ducks to feature multiple running backs on the field in 2011, which will give defenses nightmares. 

Regardless of the team's depth, James is a special talent and should have another spectacular season this year.