At around the halfway point of fall camp, some things begin to seem more apparent.

For the staff, the depth chart has started piecing together, while the players continue trying to polish up their skills to win the remaining position battles.

Now 12 practices in after Wednesday, the trenches on both sides of the ball arguably have the most intriguing ongoing competitions on the entire roster.

The transfer portal was again a point of emphasis for coach Dan Lanning and his staff over the offseason, with the big boys up front gaining multiple key additions.

A couple spoke to media after practice, along with tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, to share their perspective.

We break it all down in our five takeaways column ...

Just as much as the transfer portal can help a team, it too can prove to be costly. For Oregon, the hardest-struck position group over the offseason was the tight ends. Both Cam McCormick and Moliki Matavao transferred, leaving the number of returning vets with experience to two players.

Terrance Ferguson and Patrick Herbert have since taken on the added pressure of setting the standard as leaders.

“[Terrance] and Pat both are doing a really good job of being senior leadership of that group and providing a lot of good direction and what it’s like to play major college football for some of those new guys,” Mehringer said.

Another added veteran in the group is Ole Miss transfer Casey Kelly. Kelly has seen action in 35 games at the college level, including 11 in 2022. He has 28 career catches for 282 yards and 3 touchdowns.

“Casey is a super tough kid, has obviously played a lot of football, played in some big games,” Mehringer said. “The learning curve for players like that is much smaller. Thankfully, our strength coach Wilson Love had been there and knew him personally, and then Tysheem [Johnson], I asked him to tell me about this guy, and both of those guys had great things to say. Everything that I was told has been what this guy has been.

It’s extremely rare for a true freshman to receive significant playing time right away. The physical differences from high school to college football are one thing, but add all of the other surrounding factors to it and it makes for a tough road for even the best recruits.

None of Oregon’s 2022 recruiting class became starters last season, with only a handful getting significant snaps. This 2023 class will have a similar challenge with veterans abundant in most position groups again. However, if there is one player that I think could potentially make a splash in Year 1, I would have to go with tight end Kenyon Sadiq.

“Freshmen are always fun and interesting,” Mehringer said. “[Kenyon]’s done a great job. He’s a super talented kid, super smart kid, super smart character. He’s everything that you would want to coach. Guys like those other three being around there showing him how to grow and how to develop, him being here in the spring and learning the stuff has been really, really good.”

Even with the three veterans in front of him likely on their way to receiving more action, it isn’t completely unlikely for Sadiq to be in the mix. Four different Oregon tight ends last season caught at least six passes, and in 2021 (though a different coaching staff), two freshmen tight ends were regularly in the rotation.

“When you recruit my position, one of the things is you have to find tough kids who aren’t scared of contact,” Mehringer said. “Do they have it inside? Do they want contact, because contact is coming at this position whether you like it or not? [Kenyon]’s a tough, physical kid and isn’t afraid to get in there and mix it up with anyone you put in front of him.”

With T.J. Bass, Ryan Walk, Alex Forsyth and Malaesala Aumave-Laulu all gone after famously running it back for the 2022 season, Bo Nix’s front five is going to look vastly different for the upcoming season.

Lanning quickly went to work, first hiring new offensive line coach, A’lique Terry as well as adding four new members to the O-Line room via the portal.

“The competition level at a place like Oregon is definitely something that you have to come bring it every day,” said Nishad Strother, a transfer from East Carolina. “You can quickly fall up and down the depth chart if you don’t bring it every day.”

Strother joined former Colorado defensive back Nikko Reed as the final two pieces in Oregon’s transfer class. He brings in plenty of experience, primarily on the interior side. Whether it's by Week 1, or later on in the season, Strother has a big chance to make an impact during his first year in Eugene.

“No good offensive line is going to play [just] five players,” Strother said.

The Athletic recently released its list of the “Top 100 Freaks” in college football. The new Duck with the most hype around him this offseason, Jordan Burch, landed at No. 4 on the list.

Freak is a great word to describe Burch’s athletic skill set. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound transfer from South Carolina brings with him a sort of pass-rushing aura that has maybe been missing since Kayvon Thibodeaux. The former five-star recruit with plenty of SEC experience under his belt is coming off his best season yet (60 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks) and might just have the biggest expectations out of any player on the team.

“I wouldn’t say pressure,” Burch said. “Football doesn’t really change. It’s just doing what coach asks me to do and being able to produce on the field.”

The pressure of improving Oregon’s pass rush from last year doesn’t fall solely on his shoulders. The defensive front has a healthy mix of veterans and promising freshmen that could contribute right away, but based on high praise from everyone around him, Burch will have all eyes toward his direction.

“Just going through it every day, trying to get better each day, if somebody [praises you] it should sit in your head but it shouldn’t be something you think about all the time,” Burch said. “You’re trying to get better every day and that’s really how I go through it and that helps build my confidence.”

It’s hard enough for a new player to get used to the new staff, teammates, playbook, facility, etc. Adding to all that is settling into a city that most likely is very different from what they are used to.

The daunting task of moving across the country seems to be going as smoothly as can be for two of the Oregon transfers who came the longest way to be in Eugene.

“It’s definitely surpassed my expectations,” Strother said. “Being in this place, this facility is amazing. The resources available, the staff, the training room, it’s truly a blessing to be here.”

“Since I’m new here, I’m learning new things,” Burch said. “You could say any part of life – like my area around, the new plays, anything like that I think I’m catching on pretty good to be able to adapt to my environment.”