Ducks RB Royce Freeman

At Imperial (Calif.) High, Royce Freeman set the CIF San Diego Sectional records for career yards and touchdowns. As a true freshman at Oregon, he is listed in a three-way tie for the starting running back.

(Steven Esperanza/The Associated Press)

EUGENE — Back home in Imperial, California, where the sun scorches at 115 degrees and flash floods occur when it rains, his phone calls come, a college freshman checking in with his parents.

To hear him speak, you would wonder what all the fuss is about Oregon running back Royce Freeman.

"He talks about the long days, how they go from morning until 9 o'clock at night,'' his father, Roy, says. "He says he is adjusting, and doing what he is supposed to do.''

He forgot one thing in that conversation with dad: He's become the buzz of fall camp for the No. 3-ranked team in the nation.

It's been a long time at Oregon since a true freshman has been so praised, so anticipated and so talked about before he has even taken a snap, but there the Ducks were this month, one after the other, raving about the 6-foot, 229-pound running back.

Running backs coach Gary Campbell, who has been at Oregon for 31 years: "I think he is going to be a really, really special guy.''

Fifth-year senior linebacker Derrick Malone, who led the Ducks in tackles last season: "He's unlike anything I've seen before.''

Heisman trophy candidate Marcus Mariota: "He's going to be a good asset.''

Special teams coach Tom Osborne: "A great football player, period.''

Running back Byron Marshall: "He's the real deal.''

Nobody is quite sure yet what all this is going to mean, and how soon it will all transpire. The Ducks' first depth chart released Monday had Freeman listed alongside Marshall, the Pac-12's leading returning rusher, and Thomas Tyner, the five-star speedster who last season steamrolled the Beavers for 140 yards and a touchdown in the Civil War.

"I got it as a three-way tie right now,'' Campbell said, smiling.

The beauty of this embarrassment of riches is it appears to be a healthy situation. Marshall says the trio has "great chemistry" and are all pulling for each other. And offensive coordinator Scott Frost added "If you are trying to make this a negative thing, it's not possible.''

One of the reasons it appears it will work is Freeman's attitude.

In Imperial, and inside the Ducks' locker room, coaches and players say Freeman stands out for being quiet and humble. At Oregon, where "The Oregon Way" is more than just a credo, but a way of life, being a grounded young star can gain you traction.

But it's not just an act.

On those phone calls back home, Roy Freeman can hear that his son is homesick. But he says Royce hasn't brought up the team's final scrimmage, when head coach Mark Helfrich gushed about his two touchdowns, and he hasn't mentioned that he is garnering newspaper article after newspaper article.

"No, he hasn't let on,'' Roy Freeman says. "He is surprised that he is picking it up so quickly. You know, you go to Oregon and you think it's going to be complex with all their plays, but he says he is picking it up.''

But like everyone else in Imperial, located in an agricultural valley that feeds off the Colorado River, Roy Freeman has caught wind of the buzz emanating throughout Eugene and beyond.

"I figured his freshman year he would get playing time,'' Roy Freeman said. "But I didn't think there would be this much light on him so quickly.''

Added Kerry Legarra, the football coach at Imperial High: "It's not just Eugene. He's got this whole community buzzing, too.''

The buzz, will soon become twofold, those in Imperial say.

In Eugene, not many have been able to see him (Ducks practices are closed) and few have been able to talk to him (the program prohibits freshmen from speaking until they have played), but from the sounds of it, both watching and talking to Freeman will be a treat.

He's the biggest of the Ducks' backs, and as Malone said wide-eyed on Monday, "I've seen him run people over" in practice. Combined with what coaches describe as the footwork of a ballerina, and "soft" hands to catch passes, Freeman has everything but breakaway speed.

"And he is much faster than what people say,'' said Legarra, his high school coach. "And the thing about Royce, he runs as fast in the fourth quarter as he does in the first quarter. He doesn't wear down; he wears opponents down.''

But what adults like to talk about most is Freeman's demeanor, his attitude, his maturity.

"He is extremely mature for a person his age,'' Legarra said. "Extremely humble. He gives credit to everyone else but himself.''

Early last season, Freeman broke the CIF San Diego Sectional career marks for yards and touchdowns. In a ceremony after the game, Freeman took the microphone and thanked, in order: God, family, coaches, offensive line, teammates and the Imperial community.

Then he handed away the microphone and hugged his family.

And when you watch his high school highlights, when he scores he does the same thing every time: Immediately after crossing the goal line, he turns around and looks for the referee and tosses him the ball. No dances, no chest pounding.

"I know it gets said a lot, but it's the honest truth: As good of a player as he is, he is an even better person,'' Legarra said.

He gets it from his parents, Roy — who works for the U.S. Immigration Service — and mom Sheila, who works at the local community college.

"We've tried to keep him grounded,'' Roy said. "To let him know no matter how many accolades he gets, to stay humble and thankful for the gift God has given him.''

That parenting hasn't stopped in the near-daily phone calls home.

"I tell him to stay humble, and do the job you know you are there to do,'' Roy said. "He knows it's not an individual sport, that it's all about the team. It's about everybody working together to get a W.''

The first chance comes Saturday, when Autzen Stadium gets to see the legend of Royce Freeman.

"People there are starting to see what we saw," Legarra said. "I don't think the people at Oregon knew just how really good he is. Because you can come see him and love his size, love his work ethic, all that blah, blah, blah. But until you see him on the field, you don't know what you have. But I tell you, he's special.''

-- Jason Quick | @jwquick