Only one Oregon Duck has been named to ESPN’s preseason top 100 college football player list. Linebacker Noah Sewell got the nod, coming in at 17 on the list. Sewell has been a defensive standout thus far in two seasons at Oregon. Sewell has anchored a linebacker group that has seen many injuries during his tenure at Oregon, with talented recruit Justin Flowe missing significant time the last two seasons.
The snub to other Oregon players from the top 100 list comes as a bit of a surprise. Oregon has a very talented roster by consensus that includes both veteran players and highly ranked recruits. Players such as Bo Nix, Justin Flowe, Brandon Dorlus, and Christian Gonzalez were worthy of top 100 consideration. While the list doesn’t matter much ultimately, it could serve as motivation for some of these players to prove themselves this season.
It’s worth mentioning that USC and Utah each had more players than the Ducks, with Utah having 2 on the list and USC having an astonishing 5 players despite finishing 4-8 last season. Those numbers show how fierce the competition will be for Oregon against its top two competitors to win the Pac-12 this season. It also speaks to how much the Trojans improved their roster, acquiring multiple star players at their positions, including Biletnikoff award winner Jordan Addison and former Oregon star Travis Dye.
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