Jerry Allen names most likely breakout candidates for Oregon Football in 2024

The Oregon Ducks roster is as talented as we’ve ever seen on paper going into the 2024 season, and the team is expected to compete at the top of the nation, vying for a Big Ten Championship and a spot on the College Football Playoff.

Because of that talent that’s present, we tend to spend a lot of our time focusing on the stars, and the players who have become household names over the past few years.

For that success to be attained, though, some unheralded players are going to need to step up.

This past week on the Bleav in Oregon podcast with Zachary Neel and Jonathan Stewart, the legendary Voice of the Ducks Jerry Allen stopped by to talk all things Oregon, and they got into a discussion about who those breakout players could be.

Allen, who has been the play-by-bly analyst for the Ducks since 1987, highlighted a pair of young defenders who have a big chance to step up.

“Devon Jackson is a guy who I think is going to be really, really good,” Allen said. “I think he’s going to cause people problems and make people around him better.”

In his two seasons at Oregon, Jackson has played in 17 games with 18 total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. This offseason, he’s drawn rave reviews from coaches and players alike who claim he will be a major piece of the defense going forward.

“How about (Bryce) Boettcher?” Allen continued. “He just is a disruptor. He was a disruptor in baseball, and he had his moments last year. But I think this year that will be a name that we are calling a lot.”

Boettcher has had a bit more production than Jackson so far, totaling 39 tackles in his 26 career games, with 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 1 forced fumble.

The leaders at the linebacker group are veterans Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs, but as far as depth goes behind them, it is a bit unknown. Because of that, it isn’t at all hard to see either Jackson or Boettcher stepping up in 2024.

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire