When the Oregon Ducks hired Dan Lanning as the head coach early in December of 2021, it was widely believed he would continue the run of recruiting success built under Mario Cristobal and the former staff.
It turns out the impressive staff Lanning has put together in Eugene has a ceiling that may be even higher.
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One coach who has clearly proved his worth early in his tenure is running back coach Carlos Locklyn. The former Western Kentucky and Memphis coach has hit the ground running in Eugene. After the commitment from four-star running back Dante Dowdell on Friday afternoon, it’s clear Oregon’s history of talented rushers has a great chance to continue.
With Locklyn at the helm of the backfield, here are some of the RB moves the Ducks have made in the past few months:
Jordan James
- Four-star RB, Georgia flip
- No. 16 RB in 2022, No. 195 overall player
Noah Whittington
- Transfer from Western Kentucky
- 719 total yards, 2 TD in two seasons
Mar’kiese ‘Bucky’ Irving
- Transfer from Minnesota
- 772 yards, 4 TD in freshman season
Dante Dowdell
- Four-star RB, chose Ducks over Ole Miss, Tennessee
- No. 20 RB in 2023, No. 298 player overall
Those additions to the roster don’t take into account potentially two of the biggest roster moves that the Ducks have made this off-season — persuading both Seven McGee and Sean Dollars to withdraw their names from the transfer portal and return to Eugene.
Lanning’s coaching staff is loaded with individuals who can create relationships with young players and inspire them to join a movement going on at Oregon. Thus far, Locklyn has been as impressive as anyone for his ability to bring elite rushers to carry on the legacy of dominant RBs in Eugene.
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