Ducks Depth Chart Preview: Special teams can be special with starters running the show

It used to be that the special teams were made up of second and third stringers, mostly freshmen, looking to participate on the field in any way they possibly can.

Oregon is looking to throw that notion in the garbage.

The Ducks special teams are going to consist of offensive and defensive starters looking to make that much of a difference that could turn a loss into a win thanks to either better field position or explosion plays.

Players such as starting wide receivers Mycah Pittman and Johnny Johnson III will be returning punts and kickoffs, respectively. Mykael Wright has already shown his explosion capabilities as a kick returner (ask USC) and while there is still a competition or the top kicking spot between Henry Katleman and Camden Lewis, we can at least have confidence that the Ducks have a solid option there.

But Oregon does have other world-class athletes who can pick up the slack if Pittman and/or Johnson need a break. Jaylen Redd has experience in the return game, as does Kris Hutson. Freshman Seven McGee’s speed and ability to shift through players also make him a candidate to see some time as a returner as well.

Here is our projection for the depth chart at the start of the season:

Henry Katleman - Place Kicker

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He may look like he came straight out of a 1920s silent movie, but the kid can kick a field goal. When Henry Katelman walked on the field at California and hit what seemed to be an ordinary 21-yard field goal, there wasn't anything ordinary about it. Camden Lewis had some struggles with consistency and range, but when Katleman nailed all of his kicks against Cal, the Ducks kicking game changed in an instant. The Katle Monster went 4-for-4 on field goals in the 2020 season with his longest going 40 yards and a perfect 13-for-13 on extra points. Despite this, both Katleman and Lewis have been in a competition for the top job throughout this offseason, but there is a belief that Henry will come out on top in the end.

Camden Lewis - Kickoffs/PK2

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Camden Lewis will probably be the first one to say he's had an up-and-down career at Oregon. Even though his field goal percentage of 56 percent isn't anything to write home about, Lewis still has a strong leg that is highly beneficial on kickoffs. Although he is likely to lose his field goal duties to Katleman, Lewis still performed very well on kickoffs. He averaged nearly 58 yards per kickoff and managed six touchbacks. If for some reason Lewis has to go back to attempting field goals, Oregon knows he can come through in the clutch as he did against Washington State with the game-winner in 2019.

Mykael Wright - Kickoff Returner

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Mykael Wright came onto the scene as a kickoff returner in 2019 and stunned the Trojans when he returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown just before the half. It tied Oregon's longest kickoff return in program history and was the Ducks' first in a conference game since 2016. Thankfully for the Ducks, that one return wasn't a fluke. Wright went to the house again three weeks later against the Beavers as he took a kickoff in the second quarter 98 yards for a score, good for the longest return in the rivalry's history, and was the third-longest kickoff return by a Duck inside Autzen Stadium.

Johnny Johnson III - KR2

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It's strange to see Johnny Johnson III on this list because he hasn't been a kickoff returner in his four previous seasons in Eugene, but he was doing these duties in the first scrimmage of the fall. Mario Cristobal and his staff might want to exploit Johnson's abilities at wide receiver in the kickoff return game in order to maximize field position. It's also something Johnson will very likely be called to do when he is in the NFL, so having this type of experience under his belt will be beneficial for him. If for some reason this doesn't work out, the Ducks can send Kris Hutson or true freshman Troy Franklin back there to return kickoff as well.

Mycah Pittman - Punt Returner

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In another example of having a first stringer on special teams, Mycah Pittman was the primary punt returner in the Ducks' first fall scrimmage. Oregon might see his height of 5-foot-11 as an advantage as Pittman can weave through the tall trees, so to speak. His outstanding speed doesn't hurt either. But given Pittman's history with injuries, Oregon might have to develop a second punt returner and early in fall camp, freshman running back Seven McGee has shown he is explosive in the open field, a perfect trait for any punt returner.

Tom Snee - Punter/Holder

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The less Tom Snee is on the field the better. That's not a slight against Snee, but Oregon obviously doesn't want to punt the ball very often. But if Snee is used, the Ducks can feel good that the Australian will get the job done. In 2020, Snee averaged 43.6 yards per punt and he pinned 11 of his 25 punts inside the 20-yard line. He also hit a career-long 53-yard punt at California (Dec. 5), one of three punts of 50 yards or more on the day and one of six on the season.

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