Why Oregon's Wide Receivers Are an Underappreciated Key to this Year's Success

Chip Kelly has said it many times. "There is no waiver wire in college football." When you lose one guy, the next guy has to step up.

The circumstances were strange and unexpected and much discussed, but now Darron Thomas is the next guy. A redshirt sophomore who has never started a college game, being handed the keys to the Oregon offense with a PAC-10 title to defend, he'll get by with a little help from his friends.

The wide receiver group is critical to Thomas' success, and Oregon's.

When a team loses a dynamic triggerman like Masoli, the coach has to look for creative ways to replace his production. Thomas runs well but he isn't apt to level a Beaver defensive back on his way to a title-clinching first down. But he is taller than the Ducks' former quarterback, and throws with better touch, a more catchable ball.


Thus the wide receivers. If they can get open for Thomas, and earn his trust by being consistent and reliable downfield, Oregon has gone a long way toward neutralizing the effect of losing their former star. They won't need a waiver wire if Jeff Maehl, Drew Davis and Lavasier Tuinei, all three seniors, step up their production.

The odds are very good they will. All three had excellent fall camps and worked hard in summer conditioning. Davis in particular looks poised for a dramatic improvement in his senior season. One full year removed from major knee surgery, he improved his speed and strength numbers and may be poised for a breakout year. Already valuable for his fierce and consistent blocking, Davis could provide the Ducks with another reliable receiving threat opposite Jeff Maehl. He might double his catch totals, and if he does, the Ducks suddenly have a formidable fifth option in the offense. This multiplicity of weapons is invaluable in the Oregon spread attack, which seeks to get playmakers matched one-on-one in open space. The more playmakers, the more open space.

On the other side Lavasier Tuinei looks ready to go and is a tough runner after the catch. He's particularly good at catching the ball in traffic, and will absorb a hit to catch the football.

One thing this group must do in the first three games is establish a working rapport with Thomas, particularly when he is in trouble. He's a sophomore and they are seniors, so they have to help him by recognizing situations, breaking off their routes and coming back to the ball to give him targets he can find on the fly. When Thomas scrambles or the pocket collapses, they have to help him and find open space. Another way veteran receivers can help a young quarterback is by playing the ball intelligently. There will be times Thomas tries to do too much in the passing game and forces a ball into coverage. A good receiver will come back to the ball and fight for it, and play defensive back if necessary to prevent a pick. Their skills can help keep Thomas out of trouble and increase his confidence.

Going in to the season the Ducks have quality at receiver but need to develop depth. Among Justin Hoffman, Josh Huff, Nick Cole and Daryle Hawkins, plus the touches Kenjon Barner gets at receiver, the Ducks have to find two or three guys who prove themselves and work into the mix.

In his second season at Oregon receiver coach Scott Frost has succeeded in instilling a new toughness in the Ducks' receivers, and that has shown in improved blocking and a team-first mentality throughout the group. If the wideouts can boost their production in 2010, the loss of Masoli might turn out to be a blessing, somewhat analgous to the uplift Oregon got when Blount punched his way out of the lineup and LaMichael James and Kenjon Barner stepped in to take his place. An improved passing game could make Masoli a distant memory, and Oregon repeat PAC-10 champions.

Some revealing numbers from the Eugene Register Guard's Rob Moseley:

Jeff Maehl caught 19 balls in the season's last three games. Lavasier Tuinei caught nine.

3.89

Time, in seconds, in the shuttle run by Justin Hoffman this offseason, tops among Oregon’s receivers and third-best on the team.

2,003

Yards of total offense by Josh Huff as a high school senior,

1,147 passing and 856 rushing.