Tag: Byron Cardwell

Pac-12 Preview: Is Justin Wilcox coaching for his job in 2023 at California?

Can the Golden Bears get to a bowl game for the first time since 2019? If they don’t, will Justin Wilcox be around in 2024?

As June starts to roll into July, and July eventually leads us to the start of fall camps at the beginning of August, the 2023 college football season will be here before we know it. What a season it projects to be in the Pac-12 Conference, as well. With a handful of College Football Playoff contenders, and a group of Heisman Trophy candidates leading their prospective teams, we could be set up for one of the best football seasons out west that we’ve seen in decades. To help get us prepared, we at Ducks Wire wanted to go through each team in the conference and give a comprehensive breakdown of each school, breaking down their 2023 outlook. Welcome to our Pac-12 Previews. New editions will be published every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday leading up to the start of fall camp. 

 

Check out our previously published previews: Arizona Wildcats — Arizona State Sun Devils — California Golden Bears

Time might be running out for Justin Wilcox in Berkeley.

After posting a losing record in his six years coaching the Golden Bears, it may be put up or shut up time for the former Oregon Ducks defensive back who reportedly turned down an opportunity to coach at his alma mater a couple of years ago. The talent on the field is not good enough to compete with the top teams in the Pac-12, and the recruiting is nowhere near good enough to build a winning roster down the road.

While there are games on California’s schedule this year that are certainly winnable, it feels like anything short of a bowl-eligible season — something Cal hasn’t had since 2019 — could result in a change at the top next offseason.

There are transfers who could end up being really solid pieces for the Golden Bears this year, but whether or not a few talented players can make a big enough difference to get Cal above six wins is yet to be determined.

Here is our full preview for the Golden Bears ahead of the 2023 season.

Position Outlook: How future of Oregon’s RB room looks after recent transfers, recruiting news

A look at how Oregon’s RB room stacks up in the coming years after recent transfers, recruiting news.

At this point in the college football season, nearly everyone in the nation is seeing their roster go through a makeover of sorts. For some teams, that means a complete overhaul, and droves of players decide to enter the transfer portal and find a new home. Other teams will see numerous players leave for the NFL draft, leaving a spot to fill behind them. A lot of schools will also have the prospect of highly-rated recruits coming to town to fill a need.

For the Oregon Ducks, we’ve got a little bit of all three of those scenarios. We’ve already seen a few players enter the transfer portal, and as the offseason grows longer, you can expect more to declare for the NFL draft. That allows us to take a look at some position groups as a whole and assess how the future looks.

Today, we want to look closely at the running backs room. We got word earlier in the week that Byron Cardwell will enter the transfer portal, which came as little surprise On top of that, there are a few players who could decide to leave, but it feels like this is a relatively solid group going into the offseason.

Let’s take a closer look.

Oregon RB Byron Cardwell Jr. announces that he will enter the transfer portal

Oregon Ducks RB Byron Cardwell Jr. has announced that he will enter the transfer portal.

It may have been the worst-kept secret for the Oregon Ducks this season, but sophomore running back Byron Cardwell Jr. has announced that he has entered the transfer portal and will look to find a new team this offseason.

Cardwell, who had a breakout season as a freshman in Eugene, struggled to find a role on the offense this year under a new coaching staff, and spent much of the season on the sideline while other players got playing time. I’m told that Cardwell quickly made the decision to redshirt rather than get spotty touches here and there while mulling over the decision to transfer at the end of the season.

In his career at Oregon, Cardwell rushed for 4 total touchdowns and have one receiving touchdown as well, racking up a total of 530 yards in 14 games.

Byron Cardwell Transfer Profile

Dan Lanning offers injury update on Justin Flowe, Byron Cardwell

Neither Justin Flowe or Byron Cardwell saw the field against BYU, but Lanning feels they were capable if needed.

As BYU was in warmups before the game with the Ducks, the Cougars found out they would be without their top two receivers in Puka Nacua and Gunner Romney.

But Oregon was missing plenty of starters itself. Thankfully for the Ducks, they didn’t miss a beat.

After Oregon’s 41-20 win over No. 14 BYU, head coach Dan Lanning revealed that running back Byron Cardwell, receiver Seven McGee, and linebacker Justin Flowe was held out of the contest mainly due to precautionary reasons.

“Byron (Cardwell) was day-to-day throughout practice this past week and he tested himself wanting to be able to push on Thursday,” Lanning said. “He’s a warrior wanting to go to work. (He) came out wanting to go through warm-ups and I think it was still lingering. You could see he still wasn’t 100 percent, (and we) didn’t want to jeopardize his health. In that situation, if we ask Bryon to, I promise you he would’ve and that is a great example of his character and what he is willing to do for this team.

As for Flowe, the injuries were relatively minor, and he probably could have played if necessary.

“If we had to push Justin (Flowe) and he was able to go through warm-ups today, he could’ve definitely contributed for us today and helped us,” Lanning said. “With that being said, the next guy up in both those situations, those guys prepare really hard, they earn their moments in practice, you earn the right to go play football with the way you practice, and the next guy up in both those positions did a really good job.

McGee saw some time on the field, but not nearly as much as Oregon is used to seeing its hybrid player.

“Seven (McGee) was able to go for us at times but we were in a lot of personnel groups that didn’t always put him on the field, and I think his unselfishness is a great example of Seven saying, ‘I don’t care how we do it, I just want to win the game.’”

Oregon is going to need all three players at full go as the Pac-12 season looms beginning next week at Washington State.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=none image=https://duckswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Byron Cardwell on the Doak Walker Award watch list for best tailback

Oregon tailback Byron Cardwell was named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list for the nation’s best tailback.

A day after Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was named to the Davey O’Brien Award watch list for the nation’s best quarterback, Oregon tailback Byron Cardwell has been named to a watch list of his own.

The Duck tailback is one of 74 running backs to be on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list for the nation’s best running back for 2022.

Cardwell had an outstanding freshman season for Oregon last year as he led all Pac-12 with almost seven yards per carry. Overall, the 6-foot, 210-pounder from San Diego accumulated 417 yards on just 61 carries and three touchdowns.

Those carries are expected to significantly increase in 2022 as he will get a lot more playing time with Travis Dye transferring to USC. Cardwell will be the power back to Sean Dollars’ speed back in the Oregon offense in 2022.

Also on the Doak Walker list from the Pac-12 are Deshaun Fenwick (Oregon State), Damien Moore (Cal), E.J. Smith (Stanford), Zach Charbonnet (UCLA), Tavion Thomas (Utah), Alex Fontenot (Colorado), Xazavian Valladay (Arizona State) and Dye (USC).

Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III was the 2021 winner.

 

Teams announced for running backs, linebackers, tight ends ahead of Oregon Ducks spring game

Running backs, linebackers, and tight ends have been divvied up for Saturday. Byron Cardwell vs. Noah Sewell might be the headlining matchup.

[jwplayer E1RIUudn]

As the week has gone on and we get ready for the Oregon Ducks’ spring game on Saturday afternoon, the team has done a good job of teasing out which players will line up for which team in the annual scrimmage.

On Tuesday night, it was the wide receivers and defensive backs that were released; on Wednesday night, the offensive and defensive linemen. Thursday night now sees the running backs, linebackers, and tight ends get divvied up between the green and yellow team, giving us a more clear view of what the two squads will look like on Saturday afternoon.

My first takeaway when looking at those teams is that I can’t wait to see a matchup between RB Byron Cardwell and LB Noah Sewell. It is also interesting to note that RB Sean Dollars is the lone scholarship player at his position on the yellow team, which might mean that we see a heavy dose of him on Saturday, which has been a long time coming.

Guys like Cam McCormick, Patrick Herbert, Justin Flowe, and Mase Funa are all listed on the rosters, but we will see if they end up playing on Saturday. There’s a chance that they do, but with a majority of them spending time with the rehabilitation group this spring, it would come as no shock to see them sit the scrimmage out.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g16s8bg3emy3c2z36a playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g16s8bg3emy3c2z36a/01g16s8bg3emy3c2z36a-001f2db8f8a68597c52e92be831895dc.jpg]

[listicle id=23095]

Oregon Ducks RB named ‘rising star,’ projected to have a breakout season in 2022

Despite losing both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye in the backfield, the Ducks are projected to have one of the next stars at the RB position.

[jwplayer 7aSMLX7C]

Anyone who tuned into the back-half of the Oregon Ducks season in 2021 could have guessed which offensive player had the highest ceiling coming into the 2022 season.

After running back CJ Verdell went down with a season-ending injury against the Stanford Cardinal, the Ducks’ production out of the backfield didn’t skip a beat thanks to the production from true freshman RB Byron Cardwell.

[lawrence-related id=22641]

In the final seven games of the season, Cardwell rushed the ball 52 times for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns. He showed the poise and patience of an experienced back and looked the part of a dominant Oregon RB with the No. 21 on his chest.

In a piece highlighting some young players in college football who could have a breakout season this fall, 247Sports recently highlighted Cardwell as a ‘rising star’ worth keeping an eye on.

DuckTerritory’s Matt Prehm is raving about the upside of Byron Cardwell, who was Oregon’s third ball carrier in the rotation last season prior to starter CJ Verdell suffering a season-ending injury. Cardwell, a 6-foot, 210-pound freshman at the time, finished the year with 61 carries for 417 yards and three touchdowns, much of that total coming over the final month of the season when he averaged better than 7 yards per carry. He’ll likely be the featured option this season under first-year coach Dan Lanning with Verdell off to the NFL and Travis Dye now at USC. And if Cardwell picks up where he left off, look out.

After losing both CJ Verdell to the NFL draft, and Travis Dye to the USC Trojans, the Ducks will need some players to step up in the backfield to keep their offensive production rolling. Fortunately, we have Sean Dollars poised for some big things, and Byron Cardwell looking to become a household name.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg/01g0m4dmdvsym6qex9yg-9bcd45b44f1d9a06f324992670e970d7.jpg]

[listicle id=22657]

Spring Ball Takeaways: Dontae Manning update, and more highlights from 11-on-11 ‘Fastball’ period

More 11-on-11 drills led to several highlights, including a beautiful ball from QB Bo Nix to RB Byron Cardwell down the sideline. That, and other takeaways from Tuesday.

We were spoiled last week in Eugene when the weather allowed us to enjoy some crisp and sunny mornings followed by sunny afternoons in the 60s and 70s. On Tuesday, the seasons changed a bit, and a rain-snow mix drove Oregon Ducks practice inside to the Moshofsky Center for the first time this spring.

While players stayed out of the elements, there was no shortage of hustle on the field, as the team went through special teams drills, ball security practice, and another 11-on-11 fastball period.

Instead of breaking down which players were playing with which group, we made a point to try and focus on some of the plays that were made since players are rotating through groups each day.

Here are some takeaways from the morning session:

Oregon RB Sean Dollars is ‘competing on another level’ in Ducks’ spring practices

Not long ago, Sean Dollars was considering a transfer from Oregon. Now he’s making a strong case to be the RB1 for the Ducks.

[jwplayer aKMTk5CG]

It seems like just yesterday that Sean Dollars announced he would transfer from the Oregon football program.

Then again, a lot has happened since then.

After a conversation with Dan Lanning, Dollars decided to stay. Now he’s in strong contention to become Oregon’s starting tailback in 2022, battling alongside Byron Cardwell Jr. According to the new head coach, Dollars is quickly growing into the position and taking advantage of the actual coaching the staff provides the players.

[lawrence-related id=22441]

“I feel like Sean’s taking it up another notch and really competing on another level. I think he’s really embracing the coaching, and I’ve loved seeing that firsthand for him, his response,” Lanning said. “One thing we’re asking every one of our players right now is how do you respond to coaching? Sean has done a good job of that in the last few practices.”

With CJ Verdell going on to the NFL and Travis Dye transferring to USC, all expectations were that Byron Cardwell was going to take over the RB1 spot after his impressive debut season with the Ducks. However, an impressive spring season has seen Dollars throw his hat into the ring.

He’s not alone in that competition, though. Transfer Noah Whittington from Western Kentucky is also making a big push for carries. Lanning said Whittington already knows what it takes to be a consistent runner. It’s called effort.

[lawrence-related id=22395]

“Noah Whittington runs extremely hard. I think he’s a guy that has great vision at back,” Lanning said. “But he just plays with another level of effort. Which to me, if you can play with effort, we can coach the rest.”

Whittington rushed for 617 yards and two touchdowns while catching 12 passes for 58 yards in 2021. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry.

With Dollars, Whittington and Cardwell, Oregon should be just fine running the ball in 2022.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01g08hb99q95yn9ygvjr playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g08hb99q95yn9ygvjr/01g08hb99q95yn9ygvjr-4bf1ee0b76a4111c442435ebfb54a1c1.jpg]

[listicle id=22367]

‘Those players are explosive;’ Oregon QB gives preview of how RBs will be used in new Ducks’ offense

Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson indicated the new offense will include utilizing the Ducks’ running backs in the receiving game.

The Oregon Ducks are heading into the 2022 season with an entirely different set of playmakers on the offensive side of the ball.

Anthony Brown is gone, leaving a quarterback battle between Ty Thompson Bo Nix, and Jay Butterfield to settle things under center. Gone too are CJ Verdell, Travis Dye, and Trey Benson, leaving Oregon with very little experience in the backfield.

Byron Cardwell and Sean Dollars are expected to be the primary ball carriers this upcoming season, with Western Kentucky transfer Noah Whittington in the mix as well.

[lawrence-related id=22099]

Speaking to media after Saturday’s practice, Thompson didn’t want to reveal too much about the offense, which is undergoing some changes under new OC Kenny Dillingham. But it’s safe to say he is excited about the potential to do some different stuff in 2022.

“Those players are so explosive,” Thompson commented. “I mean, we’re doing a lot of stuff with those guys, whether it’s… I’m not gonna say a whole lot, but they’re very good players.”

Thompson is smart to avoid revealing the entire playbook months before the first game of the season, but he did provide a taste of how some of these guys are going to be utilized.

[lawrence-related id=22090]

“I mean, Byron’s gonna be huge in the run game and in the pass game,” Thompson continued. “So is Sean. Noah coming in, he’s gonna be great. I mean, everybody is gonna really help the team. So I’m really happy about that.”

Utilizing running backs in the passing game is something Oregon fans are intimately familiar with, and it sounds like Cardwell and Dollars are going to get plenty of opportunities to do exactly that – alongside Seven McGee, who is currently transitioning from running back to wide receiver this year.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[mm-video type=video id=01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg playlist_id=01f27mq9z7hjgk6vc6 player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg/01fzrwyr8k3js39g1xqg-b891c3da1509d6ee03bd31a6c80f54a0.jpg]

[listicle id=21987]