Oregon position preview: Running back
Oregon’s scholarship running backs are an interesting case study during Mario Cristobal’s tenure. A handful of guys have been serious contributors, but for the most part, one player has led the way.
Oregon endured a handful of injuries in the running backs room last year. As a result, players’ roles changed dramatically.
Heading into 2021, the running back group is relatively healthy. And the Ducks have added a couple of dynamic youngsters who each offer something new.
CJ Verdell
While still listed as a junior, Verdell enters his fifth year at Oregon with some lofty expectations.
After two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons to start his active career, Verdell struggled through injury in 2020. The 5-8 native of Chula Vista (Calif.) played in just five of Oregon’s games and averaged an uncharacteristic 57 yards a game.
Over his first two seasons, Verdell averaged 5.6 yards per carry. Last season, that number fell to 4.4.
We’ve all seen what Verdell can do when he’s fully healthy. In the 2019 Pac-12 Championship Game, he ran all over Utah for 208 yards and three touchdowns – on just 18 carries.
In fact, the only thing that’s slowed down Verdell to this point is injuries. He’s failed to start just a handful of games, but he’s been knocked out or limited many other times.
Still, Verdell enters the fall as Oregon’s lead back, and fans can hope that with a full off-season of conditioning he’ll be better prepared to withstand the punishment. A more experienced offensive line also might help keep bruising hits to a minimum.
Verdell is not known for shying away from contact, but he runs with a low center of gravity, powers through arm tackles and keep his legs churning. And that’s led to several long touchdowns.
If Verdell is able to stay relatively healthy, he could easily break that 1,000-yard mark for a third time – something only Royce Freeman and LaMichael James have been able to do at Oregon.
Travis Dye
In his first two seasons at Oregon, Dye showed that he can be a great rushing change of pace to Verdell while also being dynamic in the passing game. And at no time in his career have those qualities been more on display than in 2020.
The super junior averaged 6.9 yards per carry and racked up 443 yards and one touchdown on the ground. He caught just nine passes, but they went for 239 yards and 4 touchdowns — a whopping 26.6 yards per catch.
While that number isn’t sustainable over the course of a 12-game season, Dye showed why he’s a perfect pass-catching option in the Joe Moorhead offense. Will Dye’s breakout season change his workload if Verdell remains healthy? Or will they revert to past practice?
Either way, we should see plenty of Dye this year. He’s shown that he’s a great change-of-pace back who offers the home-run ability that the Ducks have sometimes lacked under Cristobal.
Seven McGee
The talented freshman has already made a name for himself in fall camp, turning in a couple of big time plays in the scrimmages. I’ve been to a handful of practices this year, and you can always spot McGee – and not just because he’s wearing No. 0.
McGee is electrifyingly quick, yet has the strength to fight for extra yards. Turn on his high school tape and you’ll see the excitement Oregon has been seeking since 2015.
Now, please temper your expectations just a bit. It’s unlikely any true freshman will have a gigantic impact from the start – especially with so many proven backs ahead of him. But you have to figure McGee will contribute to the offense – and certainly to the special teams – this year.
I don’t think McGee will ever be a three-down workhorse, but he’s versatile enough to be an absolute nightmare for defensive coordinators. You can put him in the backfield, send him in motion or line up him in the slot.
The potential is endless for McGee, but we’ll have to wait and see how quickly he emerges.
Trey Benson
If you were to close your eyes and think of a true bell cow back, the image would probably look very much like Benson. At 6-1 and upwards of 215 pounds, you can tell he’s worked to sculpt his body.
The freshman didn’t play last year due to injury, so Oregon fans are still eagerly awaiting the Mississippi native’s Oregon debut. And despite the full house in the backfield, Benson could at least fill the short-yardage role played by Cyrus Habibi-Likio before he transferred to Boise State. Benson, who is deceptively fast, also could spell Verdell on first and second downs.
Running back coach Jim Mastro is a big believer in Benson. I would expect to see him earn more and more carries as the season progresses.
Sean Dollars
Due to his rare combination of speed and athleticism, Dollars has been a tantalizing prospect ever since he stepped foot in Eugene.
The redshirt frosh flashed promise in 2019-20, totaling 128 yards in just 15 carries. I thought Dollars would see an expanded role last year, but with the ascension of Dye made it tough for him to find the field.
Many fans expected Dollars to finally break out in 2021, but a seriously leg injury sidelined him since April. His status heading into this season is unknown.
When he does return, Dollars could find himself competing for carries with Benson and fellow speedster McGee. Not sure Oregon needs a change-of-pace back as long as Dye is healthy.
Oregon fans certainly hope to see what Dollars can do later this year.
Byron Cardwell
The true freshman wearing James’ old number finds himself at the bottom of the depth chart, but he potentially could see the field. Official reports from the Ducks’ second scrimmage had the San Diego native scoring a pair of touchdowns.
Cardwell is Oregon’s third power back, but the two guys in front of him – Verdell and Benson – both have missed time with injuries. If the opportunity doesn’t arise this fall, he can take a redshirt year to work on his skills and invest in the strength-and-conditioning program.
It’s not going to be easy for Cardwell to break through in 2021, but he was a highly touted recruit for a reason. With hard work and a little good fortune, his time could start now.
