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football Edit

Ducks need at least one newbie WR to shine in his first year


One thing missing from last week's wide receiver week coverage was a discussion of the incoming group and their potential to contribute as freshmen.

The Ducks need immediate depth at wide receiver after losing Dwayne Stanford to graduation, Jalen Brown to transfer and Devon Allen to full-time pursuit of Olympic gold. Their starting trio of Darren Carrington, Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell should be very good, but they need production from their bench. Dings and nicks are inevitable.

Every year there are players who make an immediate impact despite being barely old enough to shave. Three years ago Nelson was a freshman All-American who caught 23 passes and scored 7 total touchdowns while seeming to make every other tackle on special teams. Carrington redshirted, but in his first year playing he hauled in 37 passes and starred in the Rose Bowl victory over Florida State, helping the Ducks shock the nation with a 165-yard performance and a pair of long touchdowns.

Veterans like Darren Carrington will not be able to carry the WR load alone this year
Veterans like Darren Carrington will not be able to carry the WR load alone this year (A.J. Jacobson)
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Mitchell seem poised to be a breakout performer as a true freshman before injuries slowed him down. He's smooth, fluid and dynamic, and if can stay healthy as a sophomore he could emerge as Oregon's deep threat opposite Carrington.

In past years, Josh Huff, Jeff Maehl and Bralon Addison all played effectively as young receivers. And receiver/running back De'Anthony Thomas was an instant sensation who interspersed head-scratching lapses with iconic moments, a 0-to-60/Gone in 60 Seconds flair that lit up video screens for all time.

Incoming freshman Jaylon Redd has some of the dynamic playmaking flair that made DAT such a memorable part of Oregon lore. Sudden, shifty and versatile, Redd won the speed competition at the UnderArmour All-Star camp last December. As a high school senior he rushed for over 1600 yards with 28 total touchdowns, a talented two-way player who doubled as a lockdown defensive back.


Redd's the most likely of this year's freshmen to play right away and be a difference maker, but Darrian McNeal enrolled early and made a strong impression in spring practice. At Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida he played quarterback, running back and receiver, all-conference at quarterback as a junior, a profile that sounds a bit like Bralon Addison's. McNeal's work in the spring earned him the second spot at slot receiver coming out of spring.

One of the most intriguing of the newcomer receivers is a relatively unheralded wideout from Chandler, Arizona, Johnny Johnson III. He was rated a two-star player at the time of his Oregon commitment, but his film suggests he may be a late bloomer that defies the star system.


JJ III played in a loaded lineup that won two Arizona 6A championships in three years. He played alongside Arizona State star N'Keal Harry as a junior, and shared the offensive touches with PAC-12 recruits Kolby Taylor of Oregon State and T.J. Green of Utah in his final year running with the Wolves.

Johnson shined against top competition in high school. Chandler plays Brophy Prep, Devon Allen's old school, Hamilton, Tyler Johnstone's alma mater, and Mountain Pointe, the dynasty that brought the Ducks Jalen Brown three seasons ago. They beat Mountain Pointe for the state title, played the IMG Academy in preseason, and won a post-season bowl game against Valdosta, Georgia last December.

Johnson has great work habits and a mature body but lacks elite speed. Still, he got open for 1,274 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns as a senior. Yet his only other big-time offer was from Michigan State, with other scholarship opportunities that included Nevada, Wyoming, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Montana, Idaho, South Dakota State, and Utah State, a thoroughly unimpressive list.


The drive, energy and balance he shows suggests he may come in with something to prove and vault over some more-heralded rivals as he makes the leap to college football, a strong possession receiver who reminds me of Drew Davis.

Bruce Judson comes in as another four-star player from Florida. Willie Taggart capitalized on the Sunshine State connection to nab him over Alabama, Arizona, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Nebraska, Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA, West Virginia.

Despite that impressive list of offers Judson had a final two of Oregon and Oregon State, committing in the late flurry that saved Oregon's recruiting class.

He's 5-9, 184, thick and low to the ground like Huff was, the 24 athlete in the country, shifty and resourceful.


Daewood Davis and Demetri Burch were the last of the Florida connection, committing on January 28 and January 29 in the week that gave A.J. Jacobson heartburn and insomnia.

Davis has pure speed, Samie Parker speed. He turned in a 4.3 40 in combine testing. Though somewhat raw he has the blinding ability to get by any two-deep, and if he can master the route tree and refine his pass-catching skills, look out. Taggart swiped Burch from his commitment list at USF, a three-star player from Florida powerhouse Apopka High.

The freshman report in just a little more than a week, and they'll have summer workouts to emerge from the pack and make an early impression. Redd is the one with the big rep, and he should develop into an outstanding college player. But Johnny Johnson III is the likely surprise. He'll exceed expectations, maybe in a big way. There's something about a physical receiver with good hands, superior concentration and good body control. Every team needs a move-the-chains guy with a willingness to block. Stars don't mean nothin' if the desire is exceptional.

Update--incoming freshman and four-star athlete Deommodore Lenoir, one of the nation's top cornerback prospects and an explosive athlete, contacted editor A.J. Jacobson this morning via Twitter and said he plans to play both ways in fall camp and take snaps at wide receiver, much in the way Adoree Jackson did at USC. It's a difficult thing to do, but Lenoir certainly has the speed and athletic ability to be an intriguing option for the Ducks in a dual role.

This freshman class stands to raise the competition level in practice significantly, something that will make the Ducks a tougher and more resilient football team than they were in last year's 4-8 debacle. As Willie Taggart said in his introductory remarks to the team last December, "We're going to bring in guys that will try and take your spot, and it's up to you to keep it."

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