Season In Review: Receiver/Tight End
12/15/16 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
Injuries to some veteran wideouts compelled the Ducks to lean more heavily on their tight ends late in the 2016 season.
Reviewing Oregon's 2016 season and looking ahead to spring drills.
DEPTH CHART
WR: Dwayne Stanford, Sr.; Devon Allen, Jr.; Alex Ofodile, RFr.; Dylan Kane, RFr.; Kyle Buckner, RFr.; Alfonso Cobb, Fr.
WR: Charles Nelson, Jr.; Dillon Mitchell, Fr.; Casey Eugenio, So.; Tristen Wallace, Fr.; Ben Thiel, Jr.
WR: Darren Carrington II, Jr.; Jalen Brown, So.; Connor Berggren, Fr.; Jeff Bieber, So.; Chayce Maday, So.; Brandon Gahagan, Fr.
TE: Pharaoh Brown, Sr.; Johnny Mundt, Sr.; Evan Baylis, Sr.; Jacob Breeland, RFr.; Ryan Bay, RFr.; Taylor Stinson, So.; Cam McCormick, Fr.; Jalontae Walker, Fr.
Starters: The Ducks began the season in their traditional three-receiver base offense. Charles Nelson was the closest thing to a full-time starter, and he led the team with 52 receptions, for 554 yards and five touchdowns. Darren Carrington II started the first eight games and had a team-high 606 receiving yards. He also scored five touchdowns, including a miraculous game-winning TD grab in the upset at Utah. The third spot began with veterans Dwayne Stanford and Devon Allen atop the two-deep, but both saw their seasons derailed by knee injuries. Each caught one touchdown pass in a cruel end to their UO careers. Jalen Brown stepped into that spot and caught 19 balls, flashing the amazing hands and body control that made him a regular contributor of practice highlights the last two years.
Given the injuries to Stanford and Allen, at midseason the coaching staff transitioned to a base offense employing two tight ends. Pharaoh Brown, Johnny Mundt and Evan Baylis all became mainstays, and they combined for 65 receptions, 828 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brown matched the five touchdown receptions of both Nelson and Carrington, completing a storybook comeback from the traumatic leg injury he suffered in November 2014.
Reserves: With depth thinned by injuries to veterans, the Ducks looked to first-year players for contributions in the passing game. True freshman Dillon Mitchell was slow to develop early on due to knee trouble, but he caught passes against both USC and Stanford and fielded punts at Utah. Alex Ofodile also made his first career reception, at Utah, and redshirt freshman tight end Jacob Breeland caught six balls. Breeland has big potential as a playmaker, and averaged 20.5 yards per reception in his debut season.
Redshirts: The guy who came closest to playing but didn't was Connor Berggren, a walk-on from West Linn who impressed immediately in preseason camp and practiced with the travel squad at times in the fall. Coaches also redshirted receiver Tristen Wallace and tight end Cam McCormick. And though he didn't technically redshirt, Dylan Kane sat out a second straight season after making the move from defensive back to receiver. Once depth was sapped, the Ducks were thankful to have guys like track and field team member Ben Thiel, Alfonso Cobb, Chayce Maday, Brandon Gahagan and Kyle Buckner to fill out the practice squad.
SPRING PROJECTION
WR: Jalen Brown, Jr.; Alex Ofodile, So.; Dylan Kane, So.; Kyle Buckner, So.; Alfonso Cobb, RFr.
WR: Charles Nelson, Sr.; Casey Eugenio, Jr.; Ben Thiel, Sr.; Brandon Gahagan, RFr.
WR: Darren Carrington II, Sr.; Dillon Mitchell, So.; Connor Berggren, RFr.; Jeff Bieber, Jr.; Chayce Maday, Jr.
TE: Jacob Breeland, So.; Cam McCormick, RFr.; Ryan Bay, So.; Taylor Stinson, Jr.; Jalontae Walker, RFr.
What to watch: Pending is a decision from Carrington regarding whether he'll return for his senior season or move on. That would be icing on the cake for a unit that returns a proven playmaker in Nelson, and three up-and-comers who now have some experience in Brown, Mitchell and Ofodile. Tight end is a different story, with Breeland the only experienced scholarship player. McCormick is another athletic guy coming up the pipeline, but this could be a position where an incoming freshman could find early playing time as well.
