Position Outlook: How future of Oregon’s RB room looks after recent transfers, recruiting news
At this point in the college football season, nearly everyone in the nation is seeing their roster go through a makeover of sorts. For some teams, that means a complete overhaul, and droves of players decide to enter the transfer portal and find a new home. Other teams will see numerous players leave for the NFL draft, leaving a spot to fill behind them. A lot of schools will also have the prospect of highly-rated recruits coming to town to fill a need.
For the Oregon Ducks, we’ve got a little bit of all three of those scenarios. We’ve already seen a few players enter the transfer portal, and as the offseason grows longer, you can expect more to declare for the NFL draft. That allows us to take a look at some position groups as a whole and assess how the future looks.
Today, we want to look closely at the running backs room. We got word earlier in the week that Byron Cardwell will enter the transfer portal, which came as little surprise On top of that, there are a few players who could decide to leave, but it feels like this is a relatively solid group going into the offseason.
Let’s take a closer look.
Departures: Byron Cardwell (Transfer Portal)
(AP Photo/Andy Nelson)
2022 Stats: 2 Games | 22 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD
Career Stats: 14 Games | 72 carries, 493 yards, 4 TD
Outlook: After what was an incredibly impressive freshman season in Eugene, things didn’t turn out how Byron Cardwell had hoped with the Ducks. The sophomore played just 2 games in 2022 before deciding to redshirt and weigh his options in the transfer portal, which he ultimately decided to take. As a player with loads of talent, you can expect that he will be highly coveted in the portal.
Expected Returner: Bucky Irving
(Photo by Ali Gradischer/Getty Images)
2022 Stats: 12 Games | 143 carries, 909 yards, 3 TD
Career Stats: 24 Games | 276 carries, 1,608 yards, 7 TD
Outlook: Bucky Irving was a revelation for the Ducks this season coming from Minnesota via the transfer portal in the offseason and quickly taking over as one of the premier options in the offense. With his shifty yet physical style of running, Irving quickly became a fan favorite in Eugene.
Confidence in 2023 Return: 99%
I don’t see realistically why Irving would not return for another season with the Ducks at this point. It was RB coach Carolos Locklyn that brought him to Eugene, and Irving thrived in the Oregon offensive system. Yes, a new offensive coordinator will be calling plays next year, but at this point, it seems to stand that Irving will be the No. 1 RB for the Ducks next year if he sticks around.
Expected Returner: Noah Whittington
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Stats: 12 Games | 129 carries, 757 yards, 5 TD
Career Stats: 33 Games | 246 carries, 1,413 yards, 7 TD
Outlook: Noah Whittington is in a very similar boat to Bucky Irving. After joining the Ducks via the transfer portal and following Carlos Locklyn from Western Kentucky, Whittington was able to have an immediate impact and act as part of a two-headed monster in the backfield that produced massive results for the Ducks.
Confidence in 2023 Return: 99%
Much like Irving, I just don’t see a logical scenario where Whittington chooses to leave the Ducks this offseason. He follow Locklyn to Eugene and was given a big role in the offense. If he comes back, both he and Irving shape up to be among the best rushing tandems in the Pac-12 next year.
Expected Returner: Jordan James
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Stats: 9 Games | 43 carries, 162 yards, 5 TD
Career Stats: 9 Games | 43 carries, 162 yards, 5 TD
Outlook: It’s not often that you see true freshmen come in and have the type of instant impact that Jordan James did, but he was impressive this year. Serving mainly as Oregon’s short-yardage and goal-line back, it’s clear that James had a role in the offense. He flipped his commitment from Georgia to Oregon late in the recruiting cycle last year and has to feel pretty good about his place on the team.
Confidence in 2023 Return: 95%
I feel strongly that James will return again next season. He clearly is utilized well in this offense and has a ceiling that he can reach. The one thing that may deter me is the fact that Dante Dowdell, another big-bodied, physical back, is coming to Eugene next year which could threaten James’ roll, but I don’t think that’s enough to cause him to transfer after one promising season.
Potential Returner: Sean Dollars
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
2022 Stats: 12 Games | 34 carries, 188 yards, 1 TD
Career Stats: 18 Games | 49 carries, 316 yards, 1 TD
Outlook: After entering the transfer portal last offseason but deciding to come back to Eugene under Dan Lanning, I’m not sure this is the production or usage that Sean Dollars anticipated. His college career has been hampered by injuries, but he’s a talented back who can be a valuable piece in a good offense.
Confidence in 2023 Return: 35%
I would probably be more shocked if Dollars chose to stay with the Ducks than if he decided to go into the portal once again. We know that he’s wanted to leave before, and after being talked out of that decision, not much changed in terms of his role. I think we will probably see him in another uniform next season.
Incoming Recruits: Dante Dowdell (4-star)
Photo Courtesy of Lawrence Hopkins
247Sports Rating: 4-star (0.9266)
National Rank: 181
Positional Rank: 9
Outlook: Dante Dowdell is rated as a 4-star prospect, but if you watched any of his tape, you might be convinced that he deserves 5-star status. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, Dowdell is a physical runner with breakaway speed. This is a player that I’m incredibly excited to watch in the coming years.
Confidence in Signing with Oregon: 100%
I have no concern about Dowdell signing with anyone but the Ducks at this point. According to someone close to the situation, he extremely close with coach Carlos Locklyn and Dan Lanning, and completely locked in with the Ducks.
