Oregon Ducks Football: 6 Players That Are More Important Than LaMichael James

LaMichael James and Oregon football are virtually synonymous in today's college football landscape. The Doak Walker winner and Heisman hopeful has become the face of the new powerhouse in the northwest. James might be the most recognizable name on the roster, but here are six players that are more integral to the success of the Ducks' football team.

Kenjon Barner

A good backup is always a nice luxury to have. However, having a backup who could start anywhere else in the nation is even better, and that is exactly what the Ducks have in Kenjon Barner.

His ability to come into a game and give the Ducks' offense virtually the same output as LaMichael James is something that opposing defenses lose sleep over. James can wear out a defense play after play, and just when the defense thinks that it might get a break because James is off the field, Barner is in the end zone celebrating a touchdown.

Having such a great backup puts Chip Kelly's mind at ease as far as having James getting injured. Nobody wants to see the star of their team go down, but seeing Barner listed as second on the depth chart really allows Kelly to call any play he wants without having too much fear of over using James.

This situation occurred last season when QB Nate Costa went down with a knee injury against Washington. Costa was a phenomenal backup, and as soon as he went down, Darron Thomas became that much more of a "must have" on offense. If Barner goes down, as he did last year for a bit of time, then James' stock will go back up. However, it would be in the best interest of everyone if Barner could stay healthy this season.

Darron Thomas

Darron Thomas is what makes the Ducks' offense work. He is the reason that the Ducks' bread and butter play, the zone read, works so well. He has to decide in tenths of a second what he is going to do with the ball. Essentially, his job is to set up LaMichael James for the big gains. If DT misreads the defense and hands the ball to James at the wrong time the play can result in a loss, turnover, or even injury.

The passing game is also completely under Darron's control. If he fails to distribute the ball effectively, then the Ducks' offense will sputter to a halt more times then not. If Darron can not keep the offense balanced then defenses can simply key on James and stop him. James might be incredibly gifted, but running away from eight defenders in the box on every play is no easy task.

John Boyett

John Boyett is the anchor of the Ducks' secondary. He had five interceptions a year ago, and looks to improve on that number this season. Having Boyett in the secondary gives defensive coordinator Nick Allioti the luxury of dropping an extra defender into the box in order to stop the run or send an exotic blitz at the quarterback.

The hole left by Casey Matthews as the team's defensive leader will probably have to be taken by Boyett, as he is a high caliber upperclassman that has kept his nose out of trouble during his time in Eugene. If Boyett really steps into this role, then he essentially becomes the Darron Thomas of the defense. He might not be calling all of the shots, but he will certainly be leading the young defense emotionally.

If Boyett and the defense can not keep the other offense from scoring, the Ducks will be finding themselves on the losing end of the spectrum more often. The Ducks may be able to outscore most teams, but on some occasions it is their defense that has to come up big in order for them to win.

Cliff Harris

The "Cheese on the Nachos" is a game changer. A shutdown corner and Returner of the Year in 2010, Harris has game-changing ability at two positions on the field. Harris is part of a very young group of corners at Oregon that only has one senior this year.

This gives Harris a ton of importance due to a lack of experienced depth at his position. As most people know, he is is not going to play against LSU, and depending on the secondary's performance, especially that of the corners, Harris' stock can rise even higher on this Ducks' team.

As a returner Harris scored four touchdowns, none being more important than the one against Cal. He scored in one big explosion of excellence, and gave the Ducks a win that they might not have gotten otherwise.

Having a home run threat on defense and special teams is always a good thing to have, as momentum is incredibly important in college football.

The Whole Offensive Line

The Ducks' offensive line is what gives LaMichael James the room to run and make big plays. As seen in the National Championship, without good blocking, Oregon's offense—and most offenses for that matter—goes from great to mediocre at best. Nick Fairley seemed to be lined up in the Ducks' backfield the whole game, and if big defensive linemen continue to be an issue for the Ducks' O-line then there will be problems for the Ducks, and especially James, on the third of September. 13 carries for 49 yards will not get the job done.

The WR Group

Lavasier Tuinei is a solid piece of the receiving group at Oregon, but after him the depth chart looks jumbled at best. Josh Huff is a game changer, but how well he has recovered from his injury in the off season is yet to be seen. Justin Hoffman is the projected starter, but with a grand total of 15 yards receiving in his career, experience is not a large part of what he brings to the table.

The Ducks' receivers will need to make opposing secondaries respect them in order to alleviate the pressure put on the Ducks' running game. If teams can get away with bringing seven or eight defenders into the box running will become that much more difficult for the offense. Balance is what makes the Blur offense so effective, so the Ducks' receivers will have to show up in big ways sooner than later.

James Is Still the Centerpiece

LaMichael James is still the centerpiece of the Oregon Ducks, but as seen in this slide show, he is not the be all end all for the team. Oregon is lucky to have so many different play makers on both sides of the ball, and on any given day a different player can step up and win the game for them.

James, however, will always be the first pick by everyone in the stadium to be the game changer. He is who defensive coordinators look out for the most, he is who analysts drone on and on about, and he is who will be given the most praise or given the most heat depending on how the Ducks play. The Ducks are James' team, even if they can win without him.