Spring Position Preview: Jordan James, Noah Whittington usher in post-Bucky Irving era
After a couple of long off-season months, the grass is starting to grow and trees are getting ready to bloom. Spring is coming in Eugene, and with it comes the long-awaited return of football for the Oregon Ducks. A lot will look different in this new year for Dan Lanning and his team, with several of last year’s top players moving onto the NFL, including guys like Bo Nix, Troy Franklin, Bucky Irving, Jackson Powers-Johnson, and Brandon Dorlus. All of that is not to mention the fact that the Ducks are joining the Big Ten, and have a new-look conference to get used to on top of a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff to strive for.
It’s safe to say that there are a lot of things to talk about going into this spring season, and a lot of storylines to discuss. To get things started, we want to give a position-by-position breakdown of Oregon’s current roster, getting readers up to date on which players left, which players are returning, and what the overall outlook is going into the spring. So far, we’ve looked at the quarterbacks, and now we’ll examine the Ducks’ running back room.
One of the hallmarks of Oregon football has been the presence of a reliable rushing attack, and that hasn’t changed during Dan Lanning’s tenure as head coach of the Ducks. In his two years as coach, one or more running backs have averaged more than six yards per carry. That consistency has opened up the rest of Oregon’s offense, which led to the Ducks scoring 44.2 points per game in 2023.
The most reliable member of Oregon’s running back room during that time was Bucky Irving, who is now headed to the NFL after two seasons in Eugene. Irving is projected as a mid-round pick, and whichever team drafts him will get an elite rusher, as well as an elite receiver out of the backfield. Trying to replace him will be a tough task for Oregon, but they have enough talent already on their depth chart to feel comfortable with their 2024 RB room.
Below is a breakdown of every loss and addition to the Ducks RB room, as well as a look at each returning player. I also dive into the most compelling storylines pertinent to the Ducks’ running backs and give an overall outlook for the position in 2024.
Player Departure: Bucky Irving (NFL)
Career Stats: 475 carries, 95 receptions, 3,722 all-purpose yards, 25 total touchdowns, 0 fumbles
For the last two seasons, one of the defining players of the Oregon football program has been Bucky Irving. Once described by Dan Lanning as someone who “plays like his heart is beating out of his chest,” Irving always seemed to have the fastest feet on the field. His 2,950 rushing yards and 21 TDs as a Duck don’t even begin to describe his impact on the team. Now, he’s off to the NFL, where he can hopefully be just as impactful for his new team.
Oregon has been lucky enough to have great RB depth behind Irving. Replacing him won’t be easy, but the Ducks are set up well to still have an elite rushing attack in 2024.
Player Departure: Dante Dowdell (Transfer)
Returning Player: Jordan James
Returning Player: Noah Whittington
Returning Player: Jayden Limar
Transfer Additions: Jay Harris (Northwest Missouri State)
Career Stats: 292 carries, 10 receptions, 1,677 all-purpose yards, 19 rushing touchdowns
One of the most exciting new additions to Oregon’s running back group is Jay Harris, a transfer from Northwest Missouri State. Harris comes to Oregon as a junior after playing two seasons at the Division II level, where he was an All-American. At 6’2″ and 215 lbs., Harris brings a lot of power to the backfield, but also speed and elusiveness. It’s not clear how big his role will be in 2024, but Harris has the potential to have a great couple of years as a Duck.
Incoming Recruit: Da'Jaun Riggs
Former Recruiting Profile: No. 697 player, and No. 55 RB in 2024 class
Da’Jaun Riggs, a 3-star recruit from Washington D.C., is the Ducks sole running back recruit in the class of 2024. Riggs didn’t draw a ton of recruiting attention from Power 5 programs, but he had enough talent to catch the eye of Oregon running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, winning the Washington D.C. Gatorade Player of the Year award.. Still, with Oregon’s level of depth at the RB position, Riggs probably won’t have much of a role in year one, but watching the skillset that he can bring to the table this offseason will be interesting.
Biggest Storylines: What will Noah Whittington Look like after his injury?
Biggest Storylines: Is Jordan James ready to be an RB1?
Biggest Storylines: How much of a role will Jay Harris have in the Oregon backfield?
Jay Harris’s role in the offense is a hard thing to predict. At the Division II level Harris was dominant, but will that dominance translate to the FBS level, especially in the Big Ten? It’s hard to say, but at the very least, I can see Harris being used frequently on the goalline and in other short-yardage situations because of his size and power, similar to how Jordan James was used as a freshman. However, I think there’s also a world where Harris becomes a consistent member of Oregon’s rushing attack, taking 10+ carries a game.
Overall Position Outlook
