Oregon football: 5 Ducks poised for breakout seasons in 2020

The Oregon Ducks are in transition and need these players to step up.

It’s going to look a lot different in Eugene this season after Justin Herbert ended his time with the Oregon Ducks last season. He’s now the future starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Ducks are looking to see what’s next. They never really hit their ceiling with Herbert under center, but saying it will be easy to replace him is just untrue.

The Ducks don’t have a choice, so they venture on with different expectations but a similar ceiling. Despite replacing one of the best at the most important position in sports, they still have a chance to win the Pac 12, and with such a strange season during the pandemic, it could be enough to make the College Football Playoff.

However, for this to happen, the Ducks need to have multiple players break out on both offense and defense. If they are going to be true contenders, then they need the talent they’ve recruited to hit their ceiling with some quickness.

The Ducks can be a true contender, even better than they ever were with Justin Herbert under center. The NCAA put out their preseason Top 25, and Oregon was ranked No. 6. All they have to do is get past two teams to find themselves in the College Football Playoff. With an insane start to the season now no longer happening (the Ducks were going to take on the defending FCS Champion North Dakota State, projected No. 1 or 2 Ohio State and a very interesting Hawaii team), they only have to focus on winning the Pac-12.

This team could be one of the best in the country, and with that comes a lot of new stars. These five players are going to see their name in headlines just about as often as anyone. It starts with the man replacing Herbert under center.