Oregon Ducks Football: 5 Fall Camp Competition Battles

The Oregon Ducks are about to kickoff fall football camp. Here are five position battles to watch at quarterback, wide receiver, running back, cornerback and defensive line.

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

The Oregon Ducks are just a few days away from the start of fall camp. With a host of some incredibly talented football players on the roster, coach Dan Lanning and his assistant coaches have the enviable task of selecting a starting lineup for Big Ten play. This competition is likely to extend through camp into the non-conference games beginning with Idaho on August 31. Let’s start with a review of some of the more interesting position battles to watch.

Quarterback

While this may not be a true competition, Dillon Gabriel heads into camp as the starting quarterback for Oregon. The transfer QB is the odds-on-favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and his play in spring camp did nothing to hurt that notion. The bigger point here is that the Ducks need to identify a backup and that role is likely filled by Dante Moore. Both players arrived in Eugene via the transfer portal, but Gabriel has the edge in most all categories. With Moore a strong candidate to start in 2025, his development now is not only good insurance should something happen to Gabriel but keeps Oregon moving forward in the development of the next quarterback, or dare we say it, the next Heisman Trophy candidate.

Wide Receiver

A true position battle exists in the wide receiver room. The Ducks arguably have the best set of wide outs in the country. Tez Johnson, Evan Stewart and Traeshon Holden appear to be locked in as starters. Look for Gary Bryant Jr. to vie for that fourth spot along with Kyler Kasper and Jurrion Dickey.

Oregon Green Team wide receiver Tez Johnson carries the ball during the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game Saturday, April 27. 2024 at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Running Back

Staying with the offensive side of the ball, Oregon appears to have a nice mix of running backs set to replace Tampa Bay Bucaneers rookie Bucky Irving. Jordan James has received national attention in anticipation of a big year and is likely the starting running back. The good news is that Noah Whittington appears to be ready to play following his torn ACL last fall that cost him the entire season. He will battle former Northwest Missouri State running back, Jay Harris, for that RB 2 slot. The biggest question regarding Harris relates to his move from a Power 4 school to the Big Ten Conference. He has performed well so far, and we will see how he does once fall camp begins.

Defensive Line

Defensively, the Ducks have added significant talent on the tackle position and could very well be one of the best d-lines in the country with defensive line coach, Tony Tuioti running the show. First up is Keyon Ware-Hudson, one of the most experienced Ducks at this position. In an effort to bring added depth to the role, Oregon picked up Jamaree Caldwell, transfer from Houston, and Derrick Harmon, Michigan State. Of note, Caldwell was the No. 25 overall player in the portal and the No. 2 defensive lineman. Over his two seasons with Houston, Caldwell was credited with 38 total tackles, 8.5 sacks and a forced fumble. Once committed to Oregon he was almost immediately labeled as one of the best additions coach Lanning secured.

Oregon defensive line coach Tony Tuioti walks the field during practice with the Ducks Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023 in Eugene. / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

Cornerback

The Ducks have also added talent to the defensive backfield. The big addition was the signing of Jabbar Muhammad, a 5-foot-10, 183-pound cornerback, who played for the Washington Huskies last season. Muhammad fronts a secondary that Pro Football Focus (PFF) has ranked in the top-five pass defenses in the nation heading into the 2024 season. Assuming that Jahlil Florence and Kam Alexander are also starters, questions remain as to who stands to get more playing time this year. In 2023, Dontae Manning filled that role, but will likely be challenged by Sione Laulea and Rodrick Pleasant.

There are, of course, position competitions all throughout the roster. These are just several of the more visible battles we expect to see throughout fall camp. Ducks’ fans already have much to be excited about with a talented football team and the much-anticipated move to the Big Ten Conference. This could very well be one of, if not, the best teams in Oregon history and coach Lanning, his assistants and, of course, the fans can’t wait for that August 31 kickoff to the 2024 season.