Preseason Camp Preview: WR/TE

Assessing where things stand for the Oregon football team entering the start of preseason camp Aug. 3.

RECEIVER/TIGHT END

Who's back: The Ducks return most of their regular rotation at receiver and tight end from last fall, led by juniors Dillon Mitchell and Jacob Breeland. Mitchell led the Ducks with 42 receptions for 517 yards and four touchdowns in 2017, and developed impressive chemistry with starting QB Justin Herbert; all but two of Mitchell's receptions came in the eight games started by Herbert. Breeland stretched the field like a receiver — which he used to be, in high school — and led the pass-catchers with 17.8 yards per reception, and also five TDs. Breeland also continued to develop his skills at the line of scrimmage, becoming a more physical presence as a blocker.

One of this spring's biggest breakout players was sophomore WR Johnny Johnson III. He demonstrated a flair for the dramatic as a freshman, with his ability to take to the air for acrobatic catches. Over the offseason he lost weight, and the corresponding boost in speed made Johnson an even more dangerous threat in the spring. Johnson, too, thrived when Herbert was healthy; all but three of his 19 receptions last season came in Herbert's eight appearances. Brenden Schooler had a little better chemistry with Braxton Burmeister, making seven of his 20 catches when the true freshman backup was starting last season. Schooler is fast and rangy, a dangerous combination outside the hashmarks.

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The receiver group also includes all-purpose threat Jaylon Redd, who averaged 12 yards per touch in a breakout stretch of three games to close out 2017. There are also some experienced scout-team guys in walk-ons Kyle Buckner, Alfonso Cobb, Jack Vecchi and Noah Holmes. And the tight end group has some veteran depth as well. This could be the season Cam McCormick breaks out as a big-play threat, and both Ryan Bay and converted DE Hunter Kampmoyer are formidable line-of-scrimmage players. Matt Mariota could find ways to contribute here and there as well, after developing the last couple years.

Who's new: For all that experience, the receiver group does lack some star power — something guys like Mitchell and Breeland might reasonably hear and say, "Have you seen my numbers the last couple years?" Still, the coaching staff saw a need, and thus welcomed into the fold receiver Tabari Hines and tight end Kano Dillon as graduate transfers. A 5-foot-10, 175-pound native of South Carolina, Hines led Wake Forest with 53 receptions for 683 yards and seven touchdowns in 2017. For a receiving group that lost Charles Nelson, a big-play threat every time he touched the ball, Hines could help fill that void.

Another potential big-time playmaker is redshirt freshman Daewood Davis. He showed off sprinter's speed with the scout team in 2017, and worked really hard this offseason to become a more well-rounded threat, routinely catching passes on his own well after everybody else had left the practice field. That hard work paid off when Davis scored twice in the spring game, momentum he hopes to build on this August. Demetri Burch will look to settle in at receiver this fall after bouncing between WR and QB last fall, most notably when his emulation of Arizona QB Khalil Tate with the scout offense played a key role in the Ducks' upset of the Wildcats last November. Newly enrolled freshmen Isaah Crocker and JJ Tucker have the potential to make an instant impact if any of the veterans leave the door open a crack. And the tight end group added a potential playmaker too in Spencer Webb, a prospect whose big-play ability coaches raved about after signing day.

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ROB'S TAKE

Projected depth chart
WR: Brenden Schooler, Jr.; Demetri Burch, RFr.; Isaah Crocker, Fr.; Alfonso Cobb, So.; Jalen Hall, Fr.; Korbin Williams, Fr.
WR: Dillon Mitchell, Jr.; Jaylon Redd, So.; Tabari Hines, Gr.; Jack Vecchi, RFr.
WR: Johnny Johnson III, So.; Daewood Davis, RFr.; JJ Tucker, Fr.; Kyle Buckner, Jr.; Noah Holmes, RFr.; Tevin Jeannis, Fr.
TE: Jacob Breeland, Jr.; Cam McCormick, So.; Kano Dillon, Gr.; Spencer Webb, Fr.; Hunter Kampmoyer, So.; Matt Mariota, Jr.; Ryan Bay, Jr.

What to watch: For all the questions about this group, the first-string unit above is a proven quartet. As August moves along, the grad transfers Hines and Dillon will have a chance to pick up on the offense and assert themselves. Another question mark is the status of true freshman Jalen Hall, who enrolled in the spring but returned home to California shortly after for personal reasons. Head coach Mario Cristobal hasn't completely closed the door on the idea Hall could return. The only real injury issue coming out of spring was Bay, who was banged up in April; hence his position on the depth chart above, which doesn't reflect the game experience he got over the last two years.

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