Will Oregon Ducks Running Back Royce Freeman Come Out Of The Shadows In 2016?

The 2016 season for the Oregon Ducks starts in little over a month with Fall Camp and the player to watch is Running Back Royce Freeman, but he will likely start the year in the shadow of another Pac-12 player.

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While teams are preparing for the upcoming football season the preseason sparks are starting to fly, as well as the constant analysis from seasons past as to how well a particular player may perform for the coming season. The focus is clearly not on Oregon Running Back Royce Freeman, and it should be. His Freshman season was not forgettable for Oregon fans and while his Sophomore Season saw a healthy Freeman continue his pace from his first year, his third season will begin without being mentioned at the top of the list. With a good 2016 campaign Freeman could be in the same rare air as LaMichael James when it comes to Oregon Rushers.

There is a shadow he falls under, that of Stanford Running Back and All Purpose player Christian McCaffrey, and to be honest, in looking at the statistics and what each team did last season, it only makes sense. Freeman will be the workhorse for the Oregon Ducks Offense this season and already has the Pro’s talking.

Freeman is the third toughest Running Back to tackle in College Football according to ProFootballFocus.com. Of course ahead of him is McCaffrey at number two. The top of the tackling list goes to Leonard Fournette from LSU who has carved out his own legacy for the Tigers. Oregon does have an advantage this season over Stanford.

The Oregon Ducks and Stanford Cardinal both will have new starters under center. The battle for Best Pac-12 Running Back could be on display at Autzen Stadium in November when the Cardinal come into Autzen to face the Ducks.

Not to mention that Freeman will have an easy start to the season against UC Davis and Virginia, two teams not really known for their Defensive Prowess. I believe that Freeman could eclipse 2000 yards on the ground this season, and if the rest of the Oregon Ducks Offense holds it together, they could be Pac-12 Title Contenders and in the running for bigger things down the line.

Next: Oregon Ducks Lose Assistant Wasikowsi To Purdue

Fall Camp begins for the Oregon Ducks on August 8th.