The Ducks have capped off one of the most successful regular seasons in school history. A Pac-12 Championship in dominating fashion, a Heisman winner in dominating fashion, and a dominant recruiting class for next year. A big match against Florida State is right around the corner, but Ducks fans are also thinking about Marcus Mariota. The redshirt junior is expected to take his talents to the NFL. With that being said, who is left to carry the team next year?
Royce Freeman breaks loose for a big run against UCLA.
Enter Royce Freeman. For those who did not see, ESPN.com released an article listing Heisman hopefuls from each major conference in College Football. It comes as no surprise to Ducks fans that the freshman destroyer is among early favorites for the coveted award next year. This is not to say that he is going to win, but Ducks fans can look at this from a different angle than the rest of the country. Assuming Mariota declares for the NFL Draft, Ducks fans now (if they didn’t know before) can rest their heads knowing the the program is in good hands.
Oregon Offensive Coordinator Scott Frost said about Freeman, “If we’d have a back in my time at Oregon that can have 20 carries a week, it’s Royce,” according to an Emerald.com article.
News flash: the Ducks are in the midst of an incredible season, but don’t think that the success stops as soon as Mariota leaves. The Ducks have Heisman hopeful Freeman returning, and not to mention Thomas Tyner, who would most likely start at running back if he was playing for virtually any school besides Oregon.
Keep an eye out for the Ducks beyond this year, as the battle to maintain relevancy in the ever-changing world of College Football will be in the hands of “Rolls” Royce Freeman, and the rest of his teammates.
Top Photo by Kevin Cline
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Jason is a Junior at the University of Oregon, currently double majoring in Public Relations and Political Science. Jason has been an avid sports fan for his entire life, growing up playing Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Over the last year, Jason has found his love for sports reporting, and enjoys creating pieces that use his love and knowledge for sports to portray his message. In his spare time, Jason enjoys obsessing over Ducks sports, Scuba Diving around the world, and listening to music. Tweet at Jason…. @1seltank. He loves talking sports with other avid sports fans.