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USA Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Checking in with the Oregon Ducks RB room ahead of the 2025 season
We are less than 50 days away from the start of the 2025 college football season, and fewer than two weeks stand between us and the beginning of the Oregon Ducks' fall camp getting off the ground in Eugene. While coaches and players wrap up their final couple of offseason weeks, we're ready to jump back into things and take a deep dive into what's set to take place at Autzen Stadium this year. The Ducks are coming off of an incredible season that saw a 12-0 regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and the No. 1 seed in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff. The offseason brought significant roster turnover as Oregon sent a program record 10 players into the 2025 NFL draft; however, those players have been replaced by a young yet incredibly talented group of players ready to uphold the standard in Eugene. Will they be able to complete the job? Expectations are high, but it won't be an easy task. Over the next few weeks, many questions will be asked, and a significant number of them will be answered. Once we get a look at things during fall camp, we will be able to predict more accurately how things shape up. However, we already have our depth chart projections for offense and defense from spring. As we continue our preview of the 2025 season, leading up to the kick-off vs. Montana State on August 30, let's take a deep dive, position by position. Previous Position Previews Now let's take a closer look at the running backs as we prepare for fall camp. Overall Oregon Ducks RB Check-In While the Ducks saw a pair of running backs — Bucky Irving and Jordan James — take off for the NFL over the past two years, the stable of RBs in Eugene is still in a great spot, thanks to transfer portal activity and adept recruiting. The biggest question at the moment for Oregon is where the production is going to come from, more in the terms of having too many mouths to feed, rather than too few. With guys like Tulane transfer Makhi Hughes, returners Noah Whittington, Jayden Limar, and Da'Jaun Riggs, there are a number of guys who could step up and be the guy for the Ducks. But will this be a year where Oregon has an RB1, or could they deploy a committee over the next 12-15 games and keep everyone fresh? Let's look at the whole picture, breaking down who arrived this year, who left, and who remains at the running back spot going into fall camp. Oregon Ducks RB Departures Career Stats: 38 games, 386 carries, 2,215 yards (5.7 YPA), 31 TDs, 42 catches, 347 yards (8.3 YPC), 1 TD After shouldering the load of one of the best rushing offenses in 2024, Jordan James is off to the NFL after three years at Oregon. James was an integral piece in the Ducks' offense as a freshman in 2022, and his role only grew from there. His tough running and breakaway speed will make him an asset for the San Francisco 49ers, who selected him in the 2025 NFL draft. Returning Oregon Ducks RBs Career Stats: 55 games, 394 carries, 2,121 yards (5.4 YPA), 15 TDs, 71 catches, 446 yards (6.3 YPC), 3 TDs The most experienced member of Oregon's 2025 running back room is Noah Whittington, who will play his fourth season as a Duck in 2025, and his sixth in college. Whittington has never been the No. 1 back at Oregon, but since his transfer from Western Kentucky in 2022, he's been an integral part of Oregon's rushing and passing game, and he could be more important than ever in 2025. Career Stats: 25 games, 49 carries, 180 yards (3.7 YPA), 1 TD, 9 catches, 132 yards (14.7 YPC), 1 TD Jayden Limar will return to the Ducks in 2025, following two seasons with the team. Limar hasn't seen much action besides late-game garbage time, but his experience at Oregon has allowed him to take some competitive snaps. He looked great in the spring game earlier this year, and I expect him to see more meaningful time next fall, helping to fill the Jordan James-shaped gap. Career Stats: 2 games, 11 carries, 82 yards (7.5 YPA), 1 TD A name to watch out for this season is Da'Jaun Riggs, the redshirt freshman from Washington, D.C. We got to see flashes of Riggs in 2024 at the ends of two blowout games, and his running style kept eyes glued to TVs long after the result of the game was decided. Riggs won't be getting starting reps this season, but I expect him to see some meaningful action in 2025. Career Stats (Division I): 4 games, 10 carries, 35 yards, 1 TD, 1 catch, 2 yards The final Oregon RB returner is former Northwest Missouri State star Jay Harris, who didn't do much in 2024. Harris is big, speedy, and strong, which gives him a lot of upside, but it's hard to see him carving out a huge share of the carries with this loaded backfield. Incoming Oregon Ducks RBs Career Stats: 28 games, 523 carries, 2,779 yards (5.3 YPA), 22 TDs, 30 catches, 243 yards (8.1 YPC), 2 TDs Makhi Hughes is among Oregon's most exciting transfer pickups of the 2024-25 offseason. In two seasons at Tulane, Hughes has been one of the top running backs in college football, and at Oregon, where he'll be running behind one of the best O-lines in the country, he could be even better. 247Sports Recruiting Profile: 4-star Recruit (90), No. 20 RB in class of 2025 At 6 feet, 216 pounds, Jordon Davison brings a good mix of size and speed as one of two freshmen in Oregon's RB room. He likely won't see the field much in 2025, but Davison could be an impact player for the Ducks down the road after a redshirt season. 247Sports Recruiting Profile: 4-star Recruit (91), No. 13 RB in class of 2025 At 5-foot-11, 180 pounds, Hill has been described as the lightning to Jordon Davison's thunder in the backfield. With agility and speed, Hill could have a big role in the Oregon RB room down the road, but he will likely redshirt this season. Predicting the Oregon Ducks RB Starters Whittington is so consistent, and Riggs is an exciting idea, but the starter for Oregon next season will, in all likelihood, be Makhi Hughes. Hughes needed no time to adjust from high school to college as a freshman in 2023, when he rushed for nearly 1400 yards and led the AAC — and he should fit like a glove in Will Stein's offense. The Ducks aren't a team that will call its top running back's name 25 times a game, but one that will run the ball by committee. I don't see Whittington starting, but he, Riggs, Limar, and Harris will have the opportunity to make impactful plays for Oregon next season. Overall Oregon Ducks RB Outlook Losing Jordan James the year after losing Bucky Irving is never easy to deal with, but the health of Oregon's program is on full display with its running back continuity. Makhi Hughes is inches from stardom, and Oregon is the place to take that next step — or leap. Behind him is Whittington, who would be a bell-cow at many Power 4 programs, plus budding young players in Riggs, Limar, and Harris. Beyond that, the thunder and lightning duo of Davison and Hill provides some excitement for the future, as does 4-star RB commit Tradarian Ball in the 2026 class. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers Running Back Room Clears Top 15 in Recent Rankings
49ers Running Back Room Clears Top 15 in Recent Rankings originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The San Francisco 49ers are hoping for a resurgent season in 2025 from running back Christian McCaffrey. What the 49ers need is the 2023 version of McCaffrey, who led the league with 1,459 rushing yards and added 14 rushing touchdowns. He caught 67 passes for 564 yards with another seven touchdown catches. Advertisement Expectations are sometimes different from reality, especially when McCaffrey is recovering from two separate injuries that sidelined him for 13 games last season. But regardless of McCaffrey's recent injury history, the San Francisco backfield is ranked No. 12 in ProFootballFocus' recent grades. "The 49ers are one of the hardest teams to project for this list, given Christian McCaffrey's recent injury history," wrote PFF's Dalton Wasserman. "Across 2022 and 2023, he was the NFL's highest-graded running back. His injuries in 2024 limited him to just 167 snaps and a 71.3 PFF overall grade. McCaffrey is supremely talented, but he enters his age-29 season with more questions than ever. "Isaac Guerendo did a decent job in spot duty last season, earning a 67.2 PFF rushing grade. The team also added fifth-round rookie Jordan James, who recorded an elite 95.7 PFF rushing grade over the past two seasons at Oregon." Advertisement Don't expect McCaffrey to be reintroduced to the offense slowly; however, that is the custom sometimes when players return from injury. Offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak thinks McCaffrey will be fine if the team is smart with his usage. "You're always cognizant of the reps you're putting on guys, especially in practice, when we do that with Christian all the time, we monitor his reps, and you have to be smart when you're in games," Kubiak continued. "You have to be cognizant of how much they're out there. Related: Analyst Concerned for Christian McCaffrey 'Workload' for 49ers This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Mixed emotions in Wales camp after fightback ends in defeat
Ethan Ampadu admitted there were mixed emotions in the Wales camp after their extraordinary fightback against Belgium ultimately ended in failure. Wales recovered from conceding three goals in the opening 27 minutes of their World Cup qualifier in Brussels on Monday to draw level in the second half through Harry Wilson, Sorba Thomas and Brennan Johnson. But Kevin De Bruyne's late volley eventually saw Wales lose 4-3 – the first defeat of the Craig Bellamy era – and leaves the Dragons with an uphill battle to top the group and qualify automatically for next summer's World Cup. 'Obviously there's frustrations, our mentality is to win every game,' said Leeds captain Ampadu. 'We were very disappointed with the first half and the manner in which we conceded the goals. That's not really us. 'But to show the character to fight and come back, it is something Wales has shown for many years. 'We're proud of how we came back and the determination we showed. 'We gave ourselves a lot to come back to. We kind of got there, but we didn't finish it off. 'There's still a long way to go, a lot of points to play for and games to go out there and win.' Wales will resume their World Cup campaign away to Kazakhstan in September, one point behind new Group J leaders North Macedonia. Group favourites Belgium, ranked eighth in the world, are three points behind Wales with two games in hand and visit Cardiff in October. Midfielder Jordan James said: 'I think teams will watch this and fear us because it was a good performance. 'Against many big teams, the opposition sit back and protect the goal. 'We know we're good enough and have got the players to hurt teams. 'Sometimes they were able to get through because they've got top players, but when you do put teams under pressure, you see what can happen. 'We didn't give up (at 3-0 down) and a lot of nations would have given up. 'That's in our DNA. The game is never over. Even at 30 minutes, we know we've got ages left. If they can score three, we can score three. 'It's madness when you're involved in a game like that. You've got to try and keep a level head, but it's a hard one to take.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Washington Commanders did not give up much in the trade for Deebo Samuel.
The Washington Commanders did not give up much in the trade for Deebo Samuel. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Washington Commanders traded with the San Francisco 49ers back in March to acquire star wide receiver Deebo Samuel. Advertisement And it seems the deal is already paying off. According to multiple reports, the seventh-year veteran wideout has been impressing so far in OTAs, which makes the price that the Commanders paid for him even more ridiculous. Acquiring a player like Samuel, one would expect to pay a pretty hefty price, but the only thing that Washington sent the Niners was a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they then used on Oregon running back Jordan James. So apparently, one of the better wide receivers in the NFL is worth a rookie running back who is currently RB3 on the 49ers' depth chart. Obviously, there are other factors involved. Money. Age. Injury. Attitude. Advertisement But ... No matter how little they paid for him, the Commanders are happy that they have a player of Samuel's caliber for their superstar quarterback to throw to. Jayden Daniels had a spectacular rookie season in 2024, so having upgraded weapons will make him that much scarier. Samuel finished this past season with 670 yards and three touchdowns, which is not bad considering he missed a couple of games due to a calf injury. The 29-year-old receiver seemed read for a fresh start somewhere other than San Francisco, and the Commanders are more than willing to give that to him. He will be looking to help the team contend in a strong NFC East with the likes of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. Advertisement Related: Jayden Daniels Warning Shot Fired By Commanders at NFL Rivals Related: Oddsmakers Say Commanders Closing Gap On Eagles This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
49ers Use ‘Deebo' Pick on Projected McCaffrey Replacement
San Francisco 49ers fifth-round selection Jordan James knows a thing or two about speed. James assumed the starting running back role from the departed Bucky Irving at Oregon last season and topped the Big Ten in rushing yards with 1,267 yards, while scoring 15 touchdowns. Advertisement The season before, James rushed for 759 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns sharing the backfield with Irving, now of the Tampa Buccaneers. He also averaged an FBS-high 7.1 yards per carry. The 49ers had a need to find an eventual successor for Christian McCaffrey, and head coach Kyle Shanahan would prefer it be a back who fits their run scheme which is zone based. During his video call with reporters following his selection in Round 5 of this NFL Draft (with the pick gained in the Deebo Samuel trade), the running back said there are similarities between the offenses at Oregon and in San Francisco. "I think they have a great outside-zone run scheme that I'm pretty good at, that I did a lot at Oregon," James said. "So, I think I'll fit pretty well into their scheme, into their offense in general." Advertisement The 49ers traded former backup running back Jordan Mason to the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. They need someone to fill that spot. Directors of player personnel Tariq Ahmad, RJ Gillen and director of scouting and football operations, Josh Williams, spoke Saturday evening when the draft was over and shared their opinion on James. 'He's physical and then in the pass game, I thought at the pro day he showed he could catch the football well,' Williams said. 'And he's good in pass protection as well. A guy that made a lot of sense for what we wanted.' Ahmad then chimed in on James. 'We love Jordan James,' Ahmad said. 'We loved him before, off [of the] tape. He had more burst and acceleration than what we expected. He's going to be a great fit for us. He will add a lot of value next year." Related: Newest 49ers Mykel Reveals Goal As Something More Than Contract Related: 49ers Sign 1st-Round Pick and Pro Bowl Lineman
