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Oregon defensive back Chris Seisay looks on during Oregon's 2014 victory against UCLA. (Mark J. Terrill/The Associated Press)

Chris Seisay doesn't have to move far.

After the junior left the Oregon Ducks last week, he got in touch with the Portland State staff and the two sides quickly worked toward a fit.

On Wednesday, Seisay was out on the practice field in Portland, the newest member of the Portland State Vikings roster.

But the move up the I-5 corridor comes with its fair share of changes for a player who once started in the Rose Bowl and national championship game at cornerback for the Ducks.

The first change is the position. At PSU, Seisay will play receiver, a position he thrived at in high school, catching 28 passes for 609 yards and 11 touchdowns during his senior year.

The bigger change, however, is the program. While Oregon is at the forefront of major college football when it comes to play, facilities and style, Portland State is, well, let's let head coach Bruce Barnum explain it:

"To go from that place to here, you better really love football," Barnum said. "That's a penthouse down there. This is more like a tree fort. ... We have locks on our lockers. You don't put your hand on it and it talks to you."

Barnum's self-deprecation aside, Portland State is one of the up-and-coming programs at the Football Championship Subdivision level, a team ranked 17th in the preseason after going 9-3 in Barnum's first year as head coach.

The Vikings believe Seisay can be an asset. For Seisay, it's an option that gives him some familiarity and the ability to play right way.

Barnum said the Vikings knew of Seisay during his high school recruitment, but never had a chance once Seisay's status began to rise above that of a typical FCS recruit. But when Seisay left Oregon last week, he reached out to the Vikings and said he wanted to play receiver -- a position he hasn't played since high school.

Wednesday was Seisay's first practice with the team and Barnum said he has no idea what exactly they're getting as a wide receiver.

"He's learning. He's so far behind," Barnum said. "I want him to help us win the Big Sky."

With conference play starting Sept. 24, that should give Seisay time to catch up.

Seisay played in 18 games for Oregon, recording 55 tackles, six passes defended, a forced fumble and an interception. While he dealt with injuries and a drop in confidence as a sophomore, his biggest contribution came during his freshman year when he made his first career start in the Rose Bowl after Ifo Ekpre-Olomu was injured.

Over the coming weeks, Barnum said he wants to see that Seisay really wants to make the most of this new opportunity. He's had a promising first week as he took care of all the particulars off the field in order to get on it. Now, Barnum wants to see whether the junior can thrive at wide receiver. If not, they'll have a conversation about potentially moving him back to defense.

"Now that he's settled, he's meeting with my quarterback and going over the offense. He obviously cares," Barnum said. "We're excited about it. He's here for a reason."

The Vikings begin their season on Saturday when they host Central Washington.

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger