2024 Running Backs Outlook: Ducks to key in on home-grown youth in Big Ten era
The 2023 season is now behind us, and while there is still a bowl game to be played — The Fiesta Bowl vs. The Liberty Flames — Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks are working hard on the construction of their roster and hitting the transfer portal in attempts to formulate what this team will look like going into the 2024 season, the team’s first year in the Big Ten Conference. While they work on bringing new players in via the transfer portal, we want to look at the future breakdown of each position, detailing current players on the roster, incoming recruits, and potential targets on the market right now. Earlier this week, we broke down the future of the quarterback position, and took a look at the wide receiver room in 2024. Now let’s focus on the running backs.
One of the traits of a good team is depth and the reality that you don’t need to go into the transfer portal every year for a potential starter. Oregon went this route last season as the Ducks had a new coach and new system and they hit the jackpot twice with Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington.
While that is where Dan Lanning currently stands with his roster, it doesn’t mean they don’t have an eye on the portal for potential additions that can be made.
With Irving leaving for the NFL and Whittington coming off injury, the Ducks might go into the portal for depth purposes. Currently, the Ducks have a number of incredibly talented players in their RB room, all of whom were highly-rated recruits, and provide a high ceiling going forward. There are some veterans with experience, like Noah Whittington and Jordan James, and also some young studs who are threatening to break out at any moment, like Jayden Limar and Dante Dowdell.
There’s also one RB in Oregon’s 2024 class, and potentially another one joining over the next couple of weeks as well. Let’s look at the full RB breakdown for the Ducks and see what the state of the position is going forward.
2023 Departures
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Bucky Irving
While it is not a guarantee that Bucky Irving will leave Eugene for a spot in the 2024 NFL Draft, it is definitely expected to happen, and I would be incredibly surprised if he decided to return to Oregon for one more year. After a two-season stint with the Ducks that has him among the most electric RBs in recent Oregon history, Bucky will likely head off to the professional ranks as a mid-round prospect.
Already Rostered: Jordan James
Career Stats: 24 Games | 144 carries, 885 yards, 16 TD, 15 receptions, 1 TD
Years of Eligibility: 2 Years
2024 RB1 Likelihood: High
Analysis
James went from being the goal-line runner in his freshman season to getting some carries in important situations in 2023 as a sophomore. Noah Whittington’s injury led the way for more playing time, and fortunately for James, it allowed him to show that he has the talent to be the main tailback for the Ducks in 2024. But Oregon has had a history of using two running backs, a 1A and 1B. Depending on how quickly Whittington recovers from his injury, James should get the early RB1 treatment next year.
Already Rostered: Noah Whittington
Career Stats: 41 Games | 276 carries, 1,581 yards, 9 TD, 47 receptions, 310 yards, 1 TD
Years of Eligibility: 1 Year
2024 RB1 Likelihood: Medium-High
Analysis
The question with Noah Whittington is how quickly he can return to full health in 2024 after suffering a season-ending leg injury in Week 4 against Colorado last season. Before the injury, Whittington was the 1B to Irving’s 1A, and he was having an impressive season. He is in line to play in a similar role next year, potentially taking over that 1A spot, but all depends on how quickly he can get back to 100%.
Already Rostered: Dante Dowdell
Career Stats: 6 Games | 17 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD
Years of Eligibility: 3 Years
2024 RB1 Likelihood: Medium
Analysis
Dowdell will likely be that “goal-line” running back next season once filled by James. He appeared in six games, two more than required to use a redshirt. Most likely the only way Dowdell becomes the starting tailback is if James and Whittington go down, but if that does happen, Oregon would probably be all right. Dowdell was a four-star recruit and a Top 10 running back out of Mississippi. In his limited action as a true freshman, he showed a great burst and an incredibly physical level of running that the Ducks’ don’t currently have on the roster.
Already Rostered: Jayden Limar
Career Stats: 10 Games | 21 carries, 98 yards, 1 TD, 6 catches, 31 yards
Years of Eligibility: 3 Years
2024 RB1 Likelihood: Low
Analysis
Limar was most likely expected to redshirt this season, but circumstances dictated that he play some this season. As the third-string tailback after Whittington was ruled out for the season, Limar showed a glimpse of why he was ranked as a Top 10 running back recruit out of Lake Stevens, Wash. Limar is in a similar boat as Dowdell, and will likely used sparingly in situational roles next season, but he showed enough as a true freshman to prove that he absolutely has the ability to be a dynamic back at this level.
2024 Recruit: Da'Jaun Riggs
Photo Courtesy of Oregon Athletic Department
247 Sports Recruiting Rating: 3-star (No. 746 overall, No. 56 RB)
2024 Major Impact Likelihood: Low
Analysis
At the moment, Da’Jaun Riggs is the only RB in the 2024 class for the Ducks, but that could potentially change in the next couple of weeks. More on that in a second. Riggs isn’t as highly-rated of a player as Duck fans may be used to, but the coaching staff obviously really likes the skillset that he brings to the table, and expects big things from him going forward. It’s unlikely that he has much of an impact as a true freshman, but his future is bright in Eugene.
2024 Recruit Target: Nate Frazier
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247 Sports Recruiting Rating: 4-star (No. 57 overall, No. 2 RB)
2024 Major Impact Likelihood: Medium-Low
Analysis
With the early signing period just a couple of weeks away, we are getting into flip season, and the Ducks are reportedly working hard to try and get Mater Dei running back Nate Frazier to reconsider a spot on the Oregon 2024 class. Frazier, the No. 2 RB in the class, committed to Georgia earlier this year, but there’s a solid chance that he could end up back at Oregon, following teammates Aydin Breland and Jack Ressler up north. Should that happen, it would be a major win for Carlos Locklyn and the Ducks.
Transfer Portal Targets: Raleek Brown
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2023 Stats: 2 Games | 6 touches, 34 yards, 1 TD
Career Stats: 16 Games | 64 touches, 436 yards, 7 TDs
Former Recruiting Profile: 4-star (No. 42 in 2022 Class)
Analysis: Raleek Brown is someone who Oregon recruited heavily out of high school, and now that he is looking to leave USC, they might try and court him once again. Though he is kind of a hybrid between RB and WR, the Ducks could try and pick him up as an all-purpose back to plug into the offense.
Transfer Portal Targets: Raheim Sanders
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2023 Stats: 6 Games | 209 yards, 2 TDs
Career Stats: 32 Games | 2,230 yards, 17 TDs
Former Recruiting Profile: 4-star (No. 165 in 2021 Class)
Analysis: I believe that the Ducks are going to be in the market for a running back this year in the transfer portal, and one of the most dynamic options just became available with Raheim ‘Rocket’ Sanders entering on Tuesday. Sanders didn’t play a full season in 2023, but in 2022, he rushed for over 1,400 yards with 10 touchdowns. He’s clearly a great running back and someone who the Ducks might try to get to bolster their backfield.
Transfer Portal Targets: Treshaun Ward
Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
2023 Stats: 11 Games | 124 rushes, 643 yards, 5 TD
Career Stats: 37 Games | 312 carries, 1,884 yards, 17 TD
Transfer Recruiting Profile: 3-star (No. 29 in 2024)
Analysis: The Ducks will likely try and add an experienced running back to the group in order to help bolster the backfield in the case that Noah Whittington is not fully healthy once that 2024 season starts. Ward fits that billing, having one year of eligibility remaining and some solid production at both Kansas State and Florida State in his career.
RB Room Confidence
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Confidence in Future Success: Medium-High
At the moment, the Ducks (likely) have four strong rushers going into the 2024 season, led by Jordan James and Noah Whittington, assuming that the latter can get back to full health. While those four should be enough to achieve solid production, the team could stand to benefit from another addition, be it a top-end recruit like Nate Frazier or an experienced transfer portal addition.
Either way, we’ve seen some great things under RB coach Carlos Locklyn since he got to Eugene, so confidence in the position going forward should be high.
