The hype is real and the numbers back it up. People love to talk about “talent” like it is some magic spell that wins games. It isn’t. But you can’t ignore the sheer amount of greatness sitting in Eugene right now. According to Yahoo Sports CFB, the Oregon Ducks have nine players on the USA TODAY top 100 list. That is the highest count for any program in the country. You can hate the noise all you want, but the roster is loaded.
The Stars on the List
The rankings show exactly where the muscle is. Teitum Tuioti sits at number 46 on the list. He is a leader on a defensive line that needs to find more pressure. The stats show he had 9.5 sacks last season. Iapani Laloulu is also there at number 44. He is the guy holding the offensive line together after the team lost three starters. On the receiving side, Dakorien Moore is ranked 79. He had 497 yards and three touchdowns last year. Then you have Jamari Johnson at number 67. He is a massive 6-foot-5 target who can move well.
Talent is Only the Start
I don’t care about rankings as much as I care about the film. Being number 46 or number 79 doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t hit. The defensive line struggled to create pressure last year. Tuioti is leading the charge to fix that, but names on a list won’t stop a run. We also have some big holes to fill. The team lost Malik Benson, who was the leading receiver last year. The talent is there, but the work is what counts. You can have the best players in the nation and still lose if you don’t win the dirty battles in the trenches.
Eyes on Boise State
The talk ends when the pads come on. The Ducks are finishing up fall camp this week. They are getting ready for a huge test against Boise State at Autzen Stadium. That game happens on Sept. 5. It is the perfect time to see if these top 100 players actually show up when the lights are bright.
