Our Oregon Ducks football program has gone through a monumental change in the offseason to reshape a title-contending team into a dominant power in the Big-10 Conference. Now, the Ducks join the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines, and some familiar faces from the PAC-12 to deliver a brand-new brand of Duck football in the Midwest. When I pulled Mr. FishDuck from his fun on Panthers Betting Line, and his study of NFL Odds-he was excited as I about our change of conference for 2024.
To dominate as the Ducks have in the past decade and finally return to the College Football Playoff, someone’s going to have to pop in this offense for Dillon Gabriel (or Dante Moore, for that matter) to rely on. Fortunately, Oregon’s always been notorious for having a good-to-elite backfield of running backs. Tight end has recently been a bright spot as well, especially for big red-zone targets like Terrance Ferguson.
In my eyes, a new No.1 receiver is going to be where Oregon has to immediately produce a new Troy Franklin-type of player. Otherwise, this offense WILL struggle, and the Ducks simply cannot afford that during their first season in a new conference.
Traeshon Holden looks to dominate 2024 as Oregon’s new no.1 wide receiver – Photo by Eric Evans of Oregon Football X Account)
My Pick for Spring’s Rising Star: Traeshon Holden
Traeshon Holden has the perfect build to become Oregon’s next great No.1 receiver. His massive frame at 6’3″ and almost 210 lbs. has ‘dominant wideout’ written all over, and he was just starting to come into his own last season. I expect more of the same to be on display through spring and beyond, and teammate Tez Johnson drawing more attention to build off of his great 2023 season as a massive help to Holden’s ability to breakout.
As for Johnson, he should be a spectacular No.2 receiver in this offense once again, dominating on third downs and finding big plays the same way he did with his brother Bo Nix.
Additionally, Jurrion Dickey looks to be coming into this spring completely healthy, and should be on your radar as well. I know we’ve grown accustomed to seeing five-stars flock to Oregon, but Dickey is one of those five-star recruits that I’m still exceptionally excited about seeing on the field more after a season-ending injury muddled his senior year of high school and some of his freshman year at Oregon.
Together, Dickey, Holden, and Johnson should be a lethal tandem of wideouts this season, supplemented by Gary Bryant Jr. and co. With Gabriel assumedly at the helm, I love this offense’s chances of taking off right from the jump.
Anyway, enough from me, Oregon fans. Who are you looking to see more of this spring? Who’s the x-factor on this offense that YOU think’s going to make a world of difference for our next signal-caller under Will Stein? Let us know in the FishDuck Forum with decorum.
Go Ducks!
Alex Heining
Los Angeles, California
Top Photo By: Craig Strobeck
Alex Heining is an Oregon alumni from the graduate class of 2021. After studying sports business and media studies, he has moved into the field of digital marketing as a copywriter and content manager in the Los Angeles area. Still, he loves his Ducks and goes to local high school games all over the Los Angeles and Orange County area to check out new recruits of the future (and a SoFi game or two with the pros). On any given Saturday, expect to find him doing martial arts, playing the guitar, or screaming at the tv over a missed holding penalty.