We knew all year that this would be the final college season for Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix, but now the other half of the Ducks backfield — running back Bucky Irving — has announced that he won’t return to Eugene next year, and will instead enter the 2024 NFL Draft.
After Trey Benson’s transfer and Bryon Caldwell’s injury before the 2022 season, the RB spot was a question mark for the Ducks fans. But from the moment Irving — a Minnesota transfer — stepped on the field, he was a star. In two seasons as a Duck, Irving amassed 2,121 yards on 328 carries (6.5 yard average), scoring 15 touchdowns. Irving is also integral to the Oregon passing game, with 694 yards (8.3 yard average) and 5 TDs in his Oregon career.
In 2023, many thought Irving was snubbed when he wasn’t named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. His 1,485 all-purpose yards and 12 TDs from scrimmage were similar to (or better than) Oregon State’s Damien Martinez, Texas’ Jonathon Brooks, and Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks, all three of whom were semifinalists for the Doak Walker Award.
The Ducks have depth at RB already on their roster. After Noah Whittngton was injured against Colorado, Jordan James filled the RB2 role for the rest of the season and proved that he is a skilled runner. Speaking of Noah Whittington, he will hopefully be able to return to the field for the Ducks in 2024. Oregon also has freshmen Dante Dowdell and Jayden Limar that will have a bigger role in their second seasons.
Irving is seen by many scouts as a middle-round RB, but he may be able to improve that stock at the NFL combine. The biggest knock against Irving is his size. At 5’10” and 190 lbs, Irving doesn’t have the stature most NFL teams look for in a back, but Irving’s size has never impacted his ability to run with power and fall forward in college.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]