Like a majority of college football teams, the Oregon Ducks didn’t play this weekend, leaving a gaping void inside the green and yellow hearts eagerly awaiting the start of another exciting college football season. While there are so many things to look forward to starting next week, including a new stud quarterback (Dillon Gabriel), a new conference (Big Ten), and the return of a dynamic and committed coaching staff, here’s a collection of Duck-related amuse-bouches to whet our appetite before next week’s home opener against the Idaho Vandals.
- Former Oregon quarterback Anthony Brown, who was the source of great joy and sorrow for Ducks fans under the coaching enigma that is Mario Cristobal, is playing as a backup playcaller for the Buffalo Bills. Brown, who memorably led the Ducks to a thrilling road victory over Ohio State before laying a giant egg against the Utes in the same season to dash the Ducks’ national title hopes, went 11-of-12 passing for 102 yards and a two-point conversion on Saturday in a preseason game against the Carolina Panthers. Royce Freeman, a former Ducks’ star running back, has signed with the Dallas Cowboys after stints with the Panthers, Texans and Rams. On Saturday against the Los Angeles Chargers, Freeman had eight carries for 35 yards, including a 15-yard blast straight up the middle. Freeman is competing for the No. 3 slot in Dallas and looks to be making an argument for more playing time.
Royce Freeman hits the open hole with some burst for a nice Cowboys first down.#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/2Du2dX5iGn
— Lord Dylly 🏈 (@Lord_Dylly) August 24, 2024
- Two of five ESPN College Gameday announcers, Desmond Howard and Kirk Herbstreit, picked the Oregon Ducks as their favorite preseason team to win this year’s College Football Playoff. Nick Saban and Pat McAfee selected Georgia (2), and guest judge Irish WWE star Sheamus, with a straight face, picked Notre Dame. No doubt, there is something special brewing ONCE AGAIN in Eugene. But we’ve said and heard this before. Is this the year the Ducks finally do it? Is Howard, a former Wolverines star receiver, simply trolling the Buckeyes by selecting Oregon? Who knows, but Lanning’s recipe is bound to serve up some pretty tasty results this year.
- What do the Ducks’ 2026 recruiting class and former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel during the 2007 season have in common? Both on steroids. After obtaining a verbal commitment from four-star linebacker Dutch Horisk, Lanning now has the nation’s No. 1 class, according to On3. So far, Oregon’s 2026 class consists of offensive tackle Kodi Greene, defensive lineman Tony Cumberland, running back Tradarian Ball and quarterback Jonas Williams. While still early, it’s no surprise that the country’s best players are buying into Lanning. And that gets fans pumped up.
- Need a quack fix to get the juices flowing before Saturday? Watch the Oregon football four-part documentary series “The Team Out West,” which debuted Aug. 6 and offers a behind-the-scenes look into the Ducks’ preparation for the 2024 season. Plus, fans can’t go wrong with every one of the “Ducks Vs. Them” episodes.
Jordan is a lifelong Duck fan currently living in San Diego. Jordan graduated from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, after serving a prestigious fellowship with the Washington State House of Representatives. Upon graduation, he worked as an English language teaching assistant for the Spanish Ministry of Education’s Ambassadorial Program in Monforte de Lemos, Spain. Jordan has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California, covering a wide range of topics, including sports, local politics, and crime. He is VERY excited to be writing about his beloved Oregon Ducks.