Here’s what Oregon needs to do in order to find success against Idaho on Saturday.
The wait is finally over. At 4:30 on Saturday afternoon, the Oregon Ducks will kick off their 2024 season at home against the Idaho Vandals, marking the start of what we all expect to be a great season.
For months, the speculation has been that the Oregon Ducks will be one of the top teams in the country, equipped with the best roster in the history of their program. The Ducks have a long way to go and a lot to do in order to realize that potential, but they are in great shape ahead of their week one opener.
Oregon’s matchup with Idaho is a bit of a layup to begin their season. The Vandals finished in second place in the Big Sky Conference last year, but they’re still nowhere near Oregon’s level.
For that reason, this week’s “Keys to Victory” will be adapted to “Keys to Success.” Below are the three things Oregon needs to do against the Vandals to ensure they’re on the right path for the rest of their season.
An Unwavering Front-Seven
Photo Courtesy of Ethan Landa
The Ducks made several improvements to their defensive line this offseason, and they have one of the strongest linebacking groups in college football. So against an offense like Idaho’s, the Ducks’ front seven should be dominant on every snap, allowing nothing in the run game, and wrapping up Jack Layne — the Vandals QB — when he drops back to pass.
A Smooth Run Game
(Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
On the flip side, I want to see the Oregon rushing attack chugging for all four quarters on Saturday afternoon. The Ducks have elite RBs and a fantastic offensive line, so they should have no trouble trampling the Vandals. There will be some wrinkles to iron out since it’s the beginning of the year, but I want to see those issues adjusted too quickly.
Some Flash from Dillon Gabriel and the Offense
I can’t have three boring keys to victory, these are the Oregon Ducks after all. Speed and flair will always be the identity of the Oregon offense, and with Dillon Gabriel leading the way this season, the Ducks should have plenty of flashy plays ahead of them. To get the ball rolling early, I want to see some deep completions and some shifty runs from Gabriel in Saturday’s game.
Lanning offered a brief injury update on Jordan James and My’Keil Gardner on Wednesday.
The Oregon Ducks wrapped up their final practice before game week on Wednesday afternoon in Eugene, but it didn’t come without some news that turned the heads of fans.
Reporters made note going into practice that starting running back Jordan James was not with the team to start the day, making it the first practice that he has missed this fall. Defensive lineman My’Keil Gardner was also not with the team once again, making it his fourth consecutive missed practice.
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Afterward, head coach Dan Lanning met with media members to discuss fall camp as a whole, and he had this to say about the players, starting with James:
“It’s just precautionary today,” Lanning said. “He’s got a lot of wear and tear and we felt like this was a good day to pull some off of him.”
That’s good news for the Ducks, who kick off the 2024 season in just over a week with a home game against the Idaho Vandals on Saturday, August 31.
However, it wasn’t quite as good of news when talking about Gardner, a redshirt freshman lineman.
“My’Keil is probably going to be down for a while,” Lanning said. “We’re anxious to get him back, but it won’t be something that happens overnight. He’s going to be down for a little bit.”
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Gardner played in one game as a true freshman in 2023, registering one tackle against Portland State before redshirting. If he is held out for much of the 2024 season, you can expect that he may utilize a medical redshirt before coming back again in 2025, but until we know more about his injury situation, it is hard to forecast what lies ahead for the talented defender.
The Oregon Ducks are in the process of pairing down a long list of talented kick returners ahead of the 2024 season.
One thing that the Oregon Ducks aren’t lacking going into the 2024 season is playmakers.
No matter where you look on the offense, you will find guys who can dazzle with the ball in their hands. From Jordan James and Noah Whittington to Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart, there are endless options when it comes to players who could potentially act as a kick returner for the Ducks. But finding the right guy to send back there in special teams is a process that’s more difficult than it looks.
Ask special teams coordinator Joe Lorig. He’s ultimately responsible for tabbing the guy to receive kicks, and it’s on him to choose from a list of players who are currently littering preseason award watch lists.
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“I think we have a lot of good options,” Lorig said on Friday. “(It’s about) getting a bunch of guys reps early and then kind of paring it down as you go through the next couple weeks of simulated games. We have enough bodies and enough talent back there that I think we can be explosive in the return game.”
But when it comes to special teams, and kick or punt returners in particular, one thing that you need to focus on is health. It’s no wonder that you don’t see guys like Christian McCaffrey or Tyreek Hill returning kicks in the NFL; it’s not that they wouldn’t be elite in the position, but they’re too valuable to the team’s overall success to put them at extended risk.
So for Lorig, how much does that come into play when considering guys like James, Whittington, or Johnson as a returner?
“There’s nobody off limits,” Lorig said. “Bucky (Irving) not being on last year was my decision initially and then obviously coach (Lanning) supported it. Because once Noah (Whittington) went down, you’re just sort of more limited at running back, so we want to always try to look at the big picture.”
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At the moment, personnel limitations are not an issue in Eugene.
Both the running back and wide receiver rooms are loaded with talent and depth. Beyond the aforementioned players, you also have the likes of Jayden Limar, Gary Bryant Jr., Jeremiah McClellan, Jay Harris, and Justius Lowe taking reps at returner. On the defensive side of the ball, guys like Rodrick Pleasant and Nikko Reed are getting in the mix as well.
More than explosive returns, though, Lorig says that the real goal of his special teams unit is to be as vanilla as possible, and get the ball back to the offense.
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“We only have two goals in special teams: own the ball and no penalties,” Lorig said. “I don’t care if we’re first in the country in kickoff return as long as we own the football because we have a dynamic offense. If you give our offense the ball between the 20 and 30-yard line, we’re gonna score a lot of points.”
In 2023, the Ducks struggled to find much success in this area. Oregon ranked 124th in the nation (out of 130 teams) in overall kick return success, averaging just 15 yards per return. They’re looking to change that in 2024.
“What really comes first and foremost in our process is who’s gonna give us the best chance to make sure that we’re going to get the ball minimum at the 25 and then if that guy also was one of the most explosive returners, that’s a great thing.”
When you consider all that goes into it beyond just explosive talent with the ball in your hands, the decision becomes a lot more complicated. Fortunately for the Ducks, they have a lot of players to choose from going into the season.
Oregon Ducks RB Jay Harris arrives in Eugene fresh from the D2 level, but his path to Eugene was far more arduous than you could imagine.
On December 18, 2023, a news alert popped up on the phone for many Oregon Duck fans.
“Former Northwest Missouri State RB Jay Harris to transfer to Oregon,” it read.
…who?
Some quick Googling told you that the Ducks picked up a 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back out of the transfer portal. One who averaged 130 yards per game and scored 14 touchdowns in 2023 alone. A player who, with the size of an NFL running back and the speed of a wide receiver, went practically unnoticed from the high school football ranks into the Division II streets of Maryville, Missouri.
Seems like a strange path, no?
You don’t know the half of it.
Jay Harris is not unlike many other football players in the sense that he’s trying to use the game to change his life. The story of humble beginnings turned into generational wealth is a popular one in our world of sports, and it’s been turned into a new “American Dream” for many intercity kids across our nation who got dealt a raw hand.
Harris certainly fits into that mold of a young man trying to climb out of a pit where systemic failures started him. But the depths of that pit reach far beyond what many could imagine.
In November of 2005, when Jay was 2 years old, a tragic incident resulted in the death of both his mother and father in a matter of a few days. This resulted in Jay and his four siblings, all of whom are less than five years apart, going to live with his grandparents, John and Diann Harris.
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This magnitude of tragedy early in life can mold someone and set them on the wrong path early on if not handled with care. Fortunately, Jay was able to find football at the age of five when his older brother started playing in a Wentzville youth league.
Jay developed a liking for the sport, grabbed on tight, and hasn’t loosened his grip since.
“Football was my escape,” Harris said in an exclusive interview with Ducks Wire. “I missed a lot of family events because of football. Just travel and stuff like that. Football was definitely my getaway from whatever else was going on.”
It was apparent early on that Jay had a future in it. From his days in Little League running over opponents to his time at Timberland High School where he was named an All-State running back and cornerback, Jay had a knack for the sport, and the size to pursue it at a high level.
Photo Courtesy of Jay Harris
The only problem? Opportunity and timing.
“I had low offers, like small D1 and D2 schools,” Harris said. “Around that time I lost my grandpa, too. That was kind of my year where things fell off.”
With his grandfather now gone, Jay was forced into foster care, where he bounced around to a few different homes. Ultimately, his grandmother was able to get him back under her care.
With the stability that Diann provided lifting him up once more, Jay landed at Northwest Missouri State, where he would play for two years and eventually turn into the running back that many thought was possible. His first season with the Bearcats saw him play just four games, but he notched five touchdowns with limited opportunities. Then, in 2023, Harris exploded.
Photo Courtesy of Northwest Missouri State Athletics
A total of 11 games allowed Jay to rush the ball 244 times for 1,433 yards (5.9 YPC) and 14 touchdowns. He had over 100 yards rushing in every contest, averaging 130 yards per game with one in particular seeing the breakout star tally 274 yards and 4 scores.
The plan was coming together. Jay knew that if he put in the work necessary at Northwest Missouri State, doors would open up. A solid season or two, and he could have a chance to make the leap to D1 and earn some newfound NIL money for himself and his family.
“I just went out and played hard every day, executing, rushing for the yards that I did,” Harris said. “And then Coach Locklyn called.”
Jay thinks back to the day that he got a phone call from the Oregon Ducks running backs coach, offering him a spot on the roster. Some kids might recall that memory with a sense of fulfillment and emotion. Instead, he sounded like an employee recounting a well-deserved promotion more than anything.
“I wasn’t really too surprised,” Harris said. “I didn’t think it would be Oregon, but I knew a call was coming from somewhere.”
One of the pillars of Dan Lanning’s program in Eugene is connection.
Time and again, he will tell you that brothers who are connected, knowing the things that make each other tick on an emotional level, will fight harder for one another when things get tough in a game.
He calls it a player’s “why,” and makes sure that “knowing your why” is one of the prerequisites to being a Duck.
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So it makes sense that Jay Harris landed at Oregon, learning under a coach who believes in the power of passion and drive. He may not have known it when committing to the Ducks, but his “why” was finding a place to grow.
What is his “why?”
“My grandma,” Harris said. “She’s the reason I get up and do what I do every day. She’s the last one in my corner. Everything I go out and do every day is for her.”
More than just making Diann proud, Harris is driven to provide. Not only for her but for his family as well. That’s why teammates describe Jay as having a different demeanor around the practice facility.
“He’s a funny dude — a big goofy dude,” said Oregon RB Jordan James. “But he attacks everything that he does.”
It’s been that way since Harris landed in Eugene earlier this year. James describes him as “working like the starter” in every aspect of his life, while offensive coordinator Will Stein says he’s always wanting to get better.
Oregon RB Noah Whittington explained it to me perfectly — Jay has no choice.
“He understands that this is his shot to change his family trajectory, and the future of his family,” Whittington said. “I tell him ‘If you do two good years here, then you can buy whatever you want to buy.'”
So far, things are going well for Jay in Eugene. He’s picking up the playbook, improving every day, and starting to carve out a role for himself in the offense. In Oregon’s Spring Game, he had 14 touches for 86 yards and a touchdown, earning our Ducks Wire MVP Award.
Making a mark during the season will be more difficult, with both James and Whittington ahead of him on the depth chart. There will be times when frustration might come, and the carries might be sparse, but Harris is confident that he will get through it.
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If he does, there’s more opportunity to come. It could be in the form of NIL deals, an NFL draft selection, and signing bonuses down the road. No matter what it is, the end result will all amount to the same thing — providing for his family and doing a good bit of work in changing his family trajectory.
With that thought, Jay Harris will continue to push forward from a rough upbringing, always moving forward.
“Just remembering my why,” he said. “It’s why I’m even getting up every day.”
According to On3, Jordan James is primed to be one of the breakout stars of the 2024 college football season.
It would have been very easy for Oregon Ducks running back Jordan James to hit the transfer portal as hard as he hits a hole in the defensive line.
But instead, James was patient and received more and more playing time in his first two seasons in Eugene. And now he’s preparing to be the starting tailback for the Ducks as they head into the Big Ten Conference for the first time.
His increased workload in a premier conference should get him more noticed and that’s why James has been named as a player due for a breakout season in the 2024 college football season by On3.com.
This is what was said about the Ducks’ RB1 by writer Thomas Goldkamp.
The talented Oregon running back showed how explosive he can be last year, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. If he can replicate that again with Bucky Irving now gone and a likely increased workload, Oregon will be in great shape in the backfield. — On3.com
With Noah Whittington expected to be back from injury, Oregon should have a very capable 1-2 punch to go up against those Big Ten defenses.
It looks like Jay Harris is really beefing up in Eugene this offseason.
Oregon Duck fans knew when former Northwest Missouri State running back Jay Harris transferred to the program this offseason that there was an intriguingly high upside with the former DII player.
Harris is listed at 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, which is quite a bit bigger than the other backs on Oregon’s roster. After seeing him in the spring game, fans are definitely excited for the upside of Harris and the intangibles that he brings to the table.
His size on the field certainly stood out, but a new picture from Oregon’s offseason workouts of Harris next to the other RBs in the room is turning some heads.
Jordan James, standing directly next to Harris, is listed at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds, and Harris looks significantly bigger than him.
Earlier in May, former Oregon running back Kenjon Barner joined me and Jonathan Stewart on the Bleav in Oregon Podcast, and he compared Harris to Ducks’ legend LeGarrette Blount for his size and physicality.
Based on what we’ve seen on the field, and the build that Harris is adding to this offseason, he could have a special career as a Duck going forward.
Jay Harris did it through the air and on the ground o ear our Ducks Wire Player of the Game honors on Saturday.
The Oregon Ducks spring game has come to an end, with the Green team winning, 28-17. There were plenty of bright spots and plenty of great players, including Evan Stewart, Brison Cobbins and Teitum Tuioti.
But the Ducks Wire player of the game in the 2024 spring game is running back Jay Harris. On 11 rushes, Harris gained 52 yards. He also caught 3 passes for 34 yards. Harris sealed his MVP award with a 24-yard receiving touchdown in the game’s final minutes.
Harris is a transfer from Northwest Missouri State, a Division II school. All offseason, there has been speculation Harris would be one of Oregon’s best RBs in 2024, and on Saturday he showed how capable he is.
Harris’s counterparts in the running back room also performed well for the Ducks. Jordan James, Oregon’s presumed RB1, rushed for 51 yards on seven carries and caught five passes for 73 yards. Sophomore Jayden Limar gained 30 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards.
Noah Whittington, another Ducks running back, was absent Saturday, perhaps due to an injury he suffered last season. Hopefully, Whittington will be at full strength by the time the season rolls around. If he is, Oregon will have four running backs on their roster capable of making a big play at any time.
Jay Harris proved he was talented playing at the DII level. Now he needs to prove it inside Autzen Stadium.
If you look at Jay Harris, you don’t see an inexperienced running back. His size and speed paint the picture of someone who is capable of having a long career. If you watch his game film, you don’t see a player who should be playing at the Division II level, starting for Northwest Missouri State.
For various reasons, though, that’s where Harris found himself before making the leap to the FBS level and landing with the Oregon Ducks this offseason. Now he’s looking to prove that what he did on the field at the DII level will translate to Autzen Stadium.
So far, he’s feeling comfortable with the transition.
“Guys are bigger, stronger, faster,” Harris said on Saturday after Oregon’s second spring scrimmage. “I’ve adapted pretty well. Faster pace, but overall I’ve been adapting well since I’ve been here.”
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The Ducks’ head coach would agree. On Saturday, Lanning told media members that Harris found his way into the endzone for multiple scores on the day.
“It was a good day for Jay,” Lanning said. “I think he had two touchdowns out there. He still needs to work on the details, right? You know, learning what he needs to be doing consistently. But it was a solid, solid practice from today.”
What Harris brings to the table is different from the other backs on the roster. While both Jordan James and Noah Whittington have proven with their stats that they can play at a high level, it is the size that Harris brings which intrigues fans. Standing at 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, the former Bearcat can overpower you with his bulk, but is also a threat to beat you on the outside with his speed.
“He’s a big physical guy,” James said of Harris earlier this spring. “He’s hard to tackle. He’s going to be hard to bring down. He’s going to be somebody that helps us win some ballgames.”
While all of the talent might be there for Harris, what he needs to continue to do this spring is find his role in the offense. James is expected to be the workhorse back to start while Whittington continues to recover from last year’s knee injury, but figuring out where Harris fits in will be key.
Whether it’s as a power back, a third-down back, or an every-down back, there’s an early belief that the former DII star will be a difference maker. We’ve seen him do it against lesser competition, now we just need to see it inside Autzen.
“I think Jordan is running like an angry guy, which is exactly how you want your running back to run.”
After two seasons of Bucky Irving as the top dog in the Oregon Ducks running back room, Oregon will have a new leader at RB in 2024. Oregon has a deep crop of talented backs on the roster, but Jordan James, a junior, is the heavy favorite to be the Ducks’ top running back next fall.
In his first two seasons, James showed he is an elite running back, despite a low volume of touches. In 2023, James played in all 14 Ducks’ games, rushing for 759 yards and 11 TDs, averaging 7.1 yards per carry.
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After Oregon’s ninth spring practice on Tuesday, Ducks head coach Dan Lanning was asked about how James has developed this spring, now that he’ll likely be sliding into the top RB spot.
“I think Jordan is running like an angry guy, which is exactly how you want your running back to run,” Lanning said after practice on Tuesday. “Right, he’s out here and has really improved this spring.”
Part of Oregon’s offensive identity in the Lanning era has been throwing to the RBs out of the backfield, letting them use their elusiveness to create big gains in open space. It’s an area where Irving excelled and a skill Lanning thinks James has improved a lot this offseason.
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“I’ve seen him do more out of the backfield with his hands,” Lanning said. “He has a better understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish on the field. So really proud of Jordan’s development and where he’s at.”
Also returning at running back for Oregon is Noah Whittington, who suffered a season-ending injury last September against Colorado. In 2022 — Whittington’s first season as a Duck — he split carries with Irving, rushing for 779 yards on 5.6 yards per carry. I still expect James to be the lead back for Oregon this fall, but don’t sleep on Whittington as a second option.
“He knows what he’s talking about,” Jordan James said of Ra’Shaad Samples. “He’s gonna help us win games.”
It’s never easy for a player when their position coach takes off for another job opportunity elsewhere in the nation, but it may be a more difficult process to go through when said position coach leaves midway through the season, whether that be in the spring or the fall.
That’s something that the Oregon Ducks running back room has had to deal with over the past few weeks, with former RB coach Carlos Locklyn leaving to take a job with the Ohio State Buckeyes. The move took place the day before Oregon returned to spring camp following their spring break period, so the backs in the room were left without some stability for a short period of time.
Fortunately, head coach Dan Lanning was able to act quickly and make a great hire, bringing in Ra’Shaad Samples from the Arizona State Sun Devils. Samples spent time previously as an RB coach for the Los Angeles Rams, and is considered one of the rising stars in the coaching game.
While the hire is encouraging, the players in that room have still had to deal with the transition phase, going from one coach to another in short order.
“We have to work through it,” Oregon RB Jordan James said on Tuesday after practice, “Obviously, an unexpected loss of Coach Lock, but I think we’ve done a great job just within ourselves, holding each other accountable and doing the things were supposed to do while that process happened.”
James stands alongside Noah Whittington as the two prominent backs in the Oregon offense, while both Jay Harris and Jayden Limar will vie for larger roles this offseason as well. This will be James’ third year in Eugene, while Whitting also acts as a veteran at the position.
While the position went through the changes over the past few weeks, it has been their leadership that helped the transition.
“I think it’s important to just have some structure,” James said, “Obviously we didn’t have that when we were going through the process of finding a coach. But you know, like I said, we’ve done a great job. The whole room does a great job of holding us accountable and doing the things we’re supposed to do, regardless of the situation.”
As far as Samples goes, there is some excitement about what he brings to the table, both in his ability to develop players and recruit out on the trail as well. While he is still getting caught up on everything in Eugene, his presence has been felt early on.
“He knows what he’s talking about,” James said. “He’s gonna help us win games. He’s gonna help us get better at every aspect of our game.”
