By Tim Christie
Oregon football enters the 2019 season with soaring expectations not seen since the Chip Kelly era. The Ducks come into the season ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press, and many prognosticators see a Pac-12 title in their future. Why the excitement over this year’s squad? Let us count the ways.
1. Justin Herbert:
To the delight and relief of Ducks fans, the Sheldon High School product decided to come back for his senior year rather than leave for the NFL. Having a seasoned senior quarterback at the helm is one of the best predictors of success in the Pac-12. We may even see Herbert-to-Herbert connections—Justin’s brother, freshman Patrick Herbert, is a tight end.
2. Justin Heisman:
The senior has thrown a touchdown pass in 28 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation. As a junior, he threw for 3,151 yards and 29 touchdowns. At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds and with a cannon of a right arm, he has NFL teams salivating. He’s a candidate for the Heisman Trophy and appears on numerous other pre-season award watch lists.
3. Justin Einstein:
Herbert’s a star in the classroom as well. The biology major made the Pac-12 All-Academic first team as a sophomore and junior, is a two-time Academic All-American, and is the reigning Google Cloud Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. He carries a 4.02 GPA and is shooting to complete his bachelor’s degree by the start of fall term. Balancing academics and athletics isn’t easy, Herbert says—“It’s football and school, all day.” He gives back, too: last summer Herbert joined 20 fellow student-athletes on the athletics department’s annual Court for Kids service trip, building a sport court in a small village in Uganda.
4. Early showdown:
Oregon starts the season with a huge game against No. 16 Auburn on August 31 (4:30 p.m. PT, ABC) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The college football world will be watching this long-awaited matchup. An Oregon victory will immediately put the Ducks in the running for one of the four spots in the College Football Playoff.
5. The big fellas up front:
Every starter on the offensive line from last year is back, and they bring a wealth of experience—153 career starts among them—not to mention bulk, with an average weight of 317 pounds. Man-mountain Penei Sewell, who missed part of last season with a lower-leg injury, will be back at left tackle to protect Herbert’s blind side.
6. Returning stars:
Sophomore running back CJ Verdell last year became just the third Oregon freshman to gain 1,000 yards and the third Duck to gain 1,000 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards. On the other side of the ball, second-team All-Pac 12 linebacker Troy Dye will lead the defense after opting to stay for his senior season rather than jump to the NFL. All told, the Ducks have 17 starters returning to the 2019 roster.
7. Newcomers to watch:
Coach Mario Cristobal signed a top-five recruiting class this winter, headlined by 6-foot-5, 240-pound Kayvon Thibodeaux from Westlake Village, California. The true freshman defensive end, the top-ranked recruit in the nation, could make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks as an edge rusher. On offense, freshman receivers Mycah Pittman and Josh Delgado impressed in the spring game. At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, wide receiver Juwan Johnson, a Penn State transfer, could loom large as a target for Herbert. Freshman cornerback Mykael Wright had a great spring game with four tackles, three break-ups, and an interception.
8. New look on D:
The Ducks parted ways after two years with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, who favored an old-school, straight-up style of defense. In his place they hired Andy Avalos from Boise State, who features multiple schemes on defense to confuse offenses. “Andy’s defenses are aggressive, disruptive, and keep offenses off-balance with his use of multiple fronts and coverages,” Cristobal says.
9. Cristo-balling:
This will be Cristobal’s second full year as head coach, and as he said after the spring game, “Now the culture really kicks in.” He’s got two strong recruiting classes under his belt, filled with guys who believe in his leadership and coaching style. Cristobal was an all-conference offensive tackle for the University of Miami and coached the offensive line for Nick Saban at Alabama, and he wants his beefy linemen to set the tone on offense, blowing open holes for the running backs and forming a protective cocoon around Herbert in the passing game.
10. These guys do more than play football:
Along with Herbert, offensive lineman Calvin Throckmorton (human physiology), an aspiring orthopedic surgeon, was named to the Pac-12’s All-Academic first team last season. Defensive lineman Gary Baker made the second team, and 12 other players received honorable mention. Seven student-athletes are double majors, and about 15 are aiming to complete their bachelor’s degrees by fall and continue as graduate students.
11. The future looks bright:
Redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Shough emerged this spring as a reliable backup to Herbert and his likely successor in 2020. Cristobal and his staff have proven to be aggressive, effective recruiters, with a number-13 class in 2018 and a number-five class in 2019, and the Ducks’ upward trajectory seems likely to continue.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF OREGON ATHLETICS
Tim Christie is a staff writer for University Communications.