The Oregon offense did not have much shuffling to do following the 2018 season with only three seniors on the two-deep. So heading into 2019 becoming the surprise player on offense did not leave much room for candidates. Undaunted, Duck Sports Authority analysts Scott Reed and Dale Newton tackle the question ‘Who is the surprise player on offense?’ in this edition of Take Two.

Reed

It can be difficult to pick a surprise offensive player for one very simple reason; no one on offense has truly surprised me this year. I never thought Johnny Johnson was as bad as others; I was never as critical of CJ Verdell as others.

The offensive line returned every starter from last season plus many of their backups. In short, the offensive players who have performed well have not surprised me much. Of those players that returned there are two that standout to me as having special seasons; one is injured; the other is more reliable than I expected him to be.

Jake Breeland was having an All-American season – a potential Mackey Award winner – until his injury. He had become the ‘go to’ receiver for Justin Herbert and was dynamic. He had become a every down tight end and made the team better.

I am also pleasantly surprised at the consistency of Jaylon Redd. I thought he had really started to put it together at the end of last season and he has had a solid junior campaign through the first eight games. Though his touchdown streak came to an end last weekend, he has stood out for me.

Newton

Johnny Johnson is Oregon's most improved player on offense. After a sophomore season in which he struggled to catch the football he's thrived as a junior under new wide receiver coach Jovon Bouknight. A year ago, he caught just 17 passes all season for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Already through eight games he's grabbed 31 for 396, none bigger than the two-point conversion at the back of the end zone in the 37-35 win over Washington State. That 7-yard completion typified the concentration and reliability Johnson has exhibited in the revamped passing game.

Instead of dropping balls he's making big plays and helping his quarterback with diving catches, coming up with the ball despite immediate contact. On the successful conversion attempt he got a foot down at the back of the end zone and held on to the ball after a big hit. Johnson had 5 catches for 90 yards in the win at Washington, 7 for 96 in the opener versus Auburn. He's helped fill the void at receiver left by Dillon Mitchell. Justin Herbert has been able to go to JJIII for big first downs in passing situations. In addition, he's been a reliable blocker.