10 questions for the Ducks as Oregon heads into week 1 of the 2022 football season
In just seven days, the Oregon Ducks will be taking the field against the defending champion Georiga Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
They will have a new head coach, a new quarterback, an entirely new offensive and defensive scheme to unveil, and a whole host of questions to answer.
Considering all of those unknowns, the Ducks are pretty highly regarded heading into the season. They rank No. 11 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25, and No. 12 in the preseason USA TODAY Coaches Poll. Of the major outlets, ESPN’s Power Rankings have Oregon the lowest, and even then the Ducks come in at No. 13.
As we get into the final weekend of August and see week 1 of the season in the near future, a shift can be felt for the Ducks. No longer are they in fall camp, which has taken place over the last month or so — now it’s game week.
To help celebrate this fact and get fans in the know as we count down the days until the team heads off to Atlanta, we wanted to present the biggest questions that are still facing the team. We may get a few answers in the coming days, and a few might not come until opening kickoff vs. Georgia. Some may remain unknown until deep into the season.
Regardless of when we find out, the answers to these questions will go a long way in shaping the ultimate outcome of Oregon’s 2022 season.
Question 1
Question: Who will the starting quarterback be?
Really breaking some revolutionary ground early with this question, huh? Obviously it is first on the list because it is potentially the most important development for the Ducks this season. Whether the final winner of the QB competition is Bo Nix or Ty Thompson — sorry Jay Butterfield, I’ve seen enough in both fall camp and dating back to the Spring Game to pull you from contention — the answer is going to have a huge impact on the success Oregon sees on the field.
If I were to predict the final winner, I would say it will be Nix. I feel about 90% confident in that assessment. Again, going off of what we saw in the spring game, and a number of reports that I have heard coming out of practice in the past few weeks, I feel pretty good that it will be No. 10 lining up against Georgia in Week 1. A depth chart is expected to be released on Monday, but there’s a good chance we don’t get this answer until the first snap on Saturday afternoon.
Question 2
Question: How explosive/different will Kenny Dillingham’s offense be?
Duck fans are used to blur offenses that push the limits and make news for being different thanks to Chip Kelly. On the contrary, Mario Cristobal’s offense over the past few years has been anything but those things. Under the new coaching staff, though, we’ve been promised a return to the flash. New offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham has touted an explosive scheme that gets the ball to playmakers and lets them operate in open space.
A week from now, we get to see that offense without the training wheels. There’s no spring game to hold cards close to your chest or guarded practices where very little is shown. Will what we see on Saturday be as explosive and aggressive as we’ve been promised?
Question 3
Question: How do Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi elevate the duo of Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe?
We know exactly what Noah Sewell can do, and we have a pretty good idea of what Justin Flowe can do as well. When you put a couple of All-American level talents under the tutelage of Dan Lanning and Tosh Lupoi — a pair of national championship-winning defensive coordinators — I’m intrigued as to what the result will be.
All talk from training camp has been that the defense is excelling, and both Sewell and Flowe have been flying around in Lanning’s simulated pressure defense that aims to get linebackers in the backfield and back in coverage. I have an idea in my head of what that may look like, but I can’t wait to see the real thing.
Question 4
(AP Photo/Amanda Loman)
Question: Is this finally the year that Justin Flowe stays healthy?
Before we move on, let’s talk about Justin Flowe for a second longer. He is the second-highest ranked recruit to ever sign with the Oregon Ducks — only behind Kayvon Thibodeaux — and he’s played a total of one full game in two years. That may have some people off the scent, but based on what Flowe did in that one game — 14 tackles, 1 TFL, and a FF — the potential that he brings to the defense is enthralling.
Is this the year we finally see that potential reached? It’s an answer that we won’t get until a few months pass, but one that will have major ramifications for the Oregon defense.
Question 5
Question: Which wide receiver will step forward as the No. 1?
Oregon’s wide receiver room is incredibly deep, but also very unproven.
I would say that there are a total of six or seven players who I could see breaking out and having over 50 receptions this season, taking the defacto role of WR1 on the offense. Those guys are as follows:
Kris Hutson
Dont’e Thornton
Seven McGee
Troy Franklin
Caleb Chapman
Chase Cota
Josh Delgado
All of those players are talented enough to be the top option in an offense, but which one will actually see it through? A lot of buzz this offseason has surrounded both Thornton and Franklin, but to be honest, my pick for this is a dark horse.
Give me Kris Hutson. He’s incredibly speedy and has some of the most experience in the room. I think he has a massive season.
Question 6
Question: Can Oregon’s special teams take a leap forward?
The Ducks’ special teams units were not good last year under Mario Cristobal. The team is trying very hard to change that going forward. Dan Lanning hired Penn State’s Joe Lorig to come and overhaul the program, and it has resulted in the team going through special teams drills each and every day during the first period following stretching. You can tell that the team is buying into that part of the game.
Will it result in anything meaningful on the field? That’s something I will certainly be watching during the first game against Georgia.
Question 7
Question: Will Oregon’s secondary hold up its end of the bargain?
The Ducks’ defense is expected to be the strength of the team. With guys like Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, Brandon Dorlus, and Keyon Ware-Hudson all wreaking havoc in the front seven, stopping the run is likely not going to be an issue. When it comes to stopping the pass, though, I have some minor concerns.
Oregon is both young and relatively thin in the secondary. They brought in Christian Gonzalez at cornerback this offseason, and he projects to be an all-conference player. Outside of that, though, the Ducks are relying on guys like Dontae Manning, Trikweze Bridges, Jamal Hill, Steve Stephens, and Brian Addison to hold things down. All of them are supremely talented individuals, but they’re unproven on the big stage.
A big test will come in week 1 with a potent Georgia offense. Hopefully, the Ducks’ secondary can step up to the plate.
Question 8
Question: Which running back leads the committee?
Based on a number of things I have both heard and seen this offseason, I believe that Oregon’s running back position will largely be run as a committee, meaning that there will not be a true RB1, but rather 3-4 guys who see comparable touches throughout a game.
Even in a committee, though, there is a pecking order. Will it be Byron Cardwell at the top of that list as so many fans choose to believe? What about Sean Dollars now that he’s healthy? Based on what I am hearing from a couple of sources, there’s a more-than-likely chance that the answer is neither and that either Bucky Irving or Noah Whittington — both transfers — elevate to the top spot.
All of this is speculation and rumor up to this point, but I’m very curious to see who gets the first, and the most run in week 1 vs. Georgia.
Question 9
Question: How soon will Josh Conerly see the field?
Josh Conerly came to the Oregon Ducks as the No. 1 ranked OT in the 2022 class. He’s pretty good.
However, the Ducks have five returning offensive linemen who all started at times during the 2021 season, and have a load of experience playing together. That means that they enter the season as the favorites to grab the starting spots once again. Unless someone can take it from them.
So far through fall camp, we’ve seen Conerly be one of the few players that is getting a lot of run at the left tackle spot, often with a group that resembles the starters. Even last week, head coach Dan Lanning said that he feels Conerly will be prepared and ready to play when his name is called which “could be relatively soon.”
Does that mean Conerly will be the starting LT when Oregon takes the field vs. Georgia? I’m definitely not predicting that. I do think that he will get some snaps, though, and could move into that starting spot before the year is over.
Question 10
Question: Can the Ducks win games they’re supposed to win?
Oregon isn’t supposed to beat Georgia. I’m not predicting that they will, and the same is true for about 95% of national media members as well. It’s just too tall of a task, and with so many unknowns (see the last 9 questions), I don’t think it’s in the cards.
I do think Oregon will be good this season, though. I am on record as predicting a 9-3 season, and I think that a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game is certainly within reach. It’s going to be imperative for Oregon to win against the bad teams, though. That means no slip ups against Washington State, or Cal, or Oregon State, or Washington. Week 3 against BYU is going to be a challenge, but if Oregon is as good as we think, then they should win. Will the Ducks get revenge on Utah? What about a win vs. UCLA? Those are tough to call, and could definitely be losses, but if the Ducks want to prove that they’re among the best in the conference, they will beat the teams who have no business hanging with them.
