Jay, here.
A couple of weeks ago, a thread (”DuckD’s In-Depth Pre-Spring Depth Chart”) from one of the eDuck message boards came across my desk here at Duck Sports News and caught my attention.
So, I decided to shoot an email to DuckD to see I could share his analysis with other Duck fans through Duck Sports News. Upon completing his preview, he was more than happy to email his entire entry (Thank you, DuckD).
Instead of publishing the entire entry here, I’ve decided to break it up into more bite-size parts over the course of several days. Here’s a look at the schedule:
Offense
Friday, March 21st: Quarterback
Saturday, March 22nd: Running Back
Sunday, March 23rd: Wide Receiver
Monday, March 24th: Tight End, Half Back
Tuesday, March 25th: Offensive Line
Defense
Wednesday, March 26th: Defensive End
Thursday, March 27th: Defensive Tackle
Friday, March 28th: Linebacker
Saturday, March 29th: Cornerback
Sunday, March 30th: Safety
Before getting to DuckD’s final preview, I just want to take this opportunity to thank him for allowing Duck Sports News to post his previews. I would also like to thank Oregon Duckcast Network and Cameron Resnick for contributing their photography.
Now, let’s take a look at DuckD’s preview at Safety:
DuckD’s Spring Preview: SAFETY
Probable Starter: Patrick Chung sr., Marvin Johnson so.
Depth: Terrell Ward jr., Titus Jackson jr., Todd Doxey fr., Javes Lewis fr.
Incoming: John Boyett fr.
Analysis: Patrick Chung decided to return for his senior year and should help make this one of the best secondaries in the Pac-10, if not the nation. The 2nd team All-American (AP) was Oregon’s top tackler, posting more tackles than any Oregon defensive back in the past 13 years. Pat was 1st team All Pac-10, garnering All Pac-10 honors every year (honorable mention as a freshman and sophomore) he has played for Oregon. He also makes it very difficult to pull him off the field as he is also a special teams mainstay, honored as the Ducks’ outstanding special teams player. Also a talented return man, taking his 1st ever punt return for a TD against the Huskies in ‘06, though he sometimes scares us with his over-his-head catches. Chung had 117 tackles, with 7.5 for loss last year. About the only area he could really improve is at accumulating turnovers. I’d like to see more fumbles caused/recovered and INTs from Pat, but really it’s hard to quibble with the results he’s put on the field over the years. He will go down as one of Oregon’s best DBs and should be 1st team All Pac-10 and push for All-American honors in his final season with the Ducks.
Marvin Johnson saw limited action as Pat Chung’s backup last fall, posting 10 tackles in 12 appearances, but is the front runner for the free safety position heading into spring. Marvin was a terrific asset on kick coverage teams and is a more solid tackler than Matthew Harper last fall FS starter. He will need to show that he can hold up in coverage in order to hold onto the starting spot.
Terrell Ward earned a starting corner position as a freshman before getting injured, allowing Thurmond and Byrd time to get a firm hold on those 2 starting spots. He is solid in coverage and really packs a wallop as a tackler, thus earning him a shot at safety. He will be in the mix for FS and also as Chung’s main backup.
Titus Jackson will need to improve in most aspects of his game in order to hold off the youngsters behind him. He is a junior now and has yet to earn a lot of playing time. I hope he shows that improvement and makes his presence felt this year.
Todd Doxey spent his first fall as a Duck redshirting. He has outstanding potential, but really needs to gain weight to reach his potential. Was scout team player of the week 4 times last fall. Will be in the mix at both safety positions. I am very intrigued to see what Doxey can bring to the table.
Javes Lewis was a late addition to last years’ recruiting class, and not-surprisingly redshirted in his first fall with the Ducks. He has good size, and was originally tried at corner though I believe he has been moved to FS now. Javes will likely be battling for playing time only this year, but he has the talent to be one to watch in the future.
John Boyett is another true freshman who, like Darron Thomas, was able to graduate high school early enough to enroll at Oregon for winter term, thus allowing him to go through winter conditioning and workouts, as well as get a start on his collegiate academics. Boyett displays amazing athletic ability, and if you haven’t seen any of his youtube videos I suggest you check them out. Many have compared him to Jeffrey Maehl, and if those comparisons hold true, we could be seeing a lot of John this coming year. He is a very talented young man as many have said he could be the “jewel” of this recruiting class. There is an opening at FS, and John is here to compete.
THANK YOU, DUCKD, FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO DUCK SPORTS NEWS!