This summer certainly didn't go the way Bryan Addison had intended it would.

The versatile athlete from Gardena (Cali.) signed with UCLA in December and expected to join the Bruins this past summer. But, academic issues provided an obstacle, and by late July the 6-foot-5 prospect hit the open market once again. Four days after gaining his release from UCLA, he committed to Oregon, and several days following that he arrived in Eugene for the start of fall camp.

Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal compared the whirlwind couple of weeks to the hit Discovery Channel survival series Naked and Afraid. On that program, contestants are dropped unclothed into the wilderness with a stranger and asked to last three weeks without food, shelter or even clean water.

"It’s got to be as terrifying as that," Cristobal said of Addison's abrupt introduction to the Oregon football program. "When you get dropped off the day before camp at a place where you haven’t had a chance to train with the guys and don't know what the playbook looks like, it’s like that show Naked and Afraid."

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Addison shrugged off the challenges of joining the 2018 freshmen class six or so weeks after his peers arrive on campus. The biggest issue for him was remaining positive and in playing shape.

He also dismissed concerns many had about his lack of experience on Oregon's campus. Despite being heavily recruited by the Ducks, he never visited campus prior to picking the Bruins or before committing to play for Oregon.

“That wasn’t really a thing for me," he said of never visiting Eugene. "I wasn’t afraid to leave my boundaries of LA and find a new home. Coming to Oregon made it even better —they have the best facilities in the nation."

Adding to the uncertainty were questions about what position he would play with the Ducks. Addison was set to play wide receiver for UCLA, but the athlete also starred at safety at Junipero Serra in Southern California. He arrived at Oregon listed as an athlete, even practicing at both spots before settling in at wide receiver after a few weeks of fall camp.

"We have freshmen on both sides," he explained. "Jevon [Holland] and Steve [Stephens] held down the safety position on that side, and [safety] coach [Keith] Heyward and [wide receiver] coach [Michael] Johnson told me they needed me at receiver this year, but of course I’ll get my opportunity at safety next year or when the time comes.

“I’m just fitting in right now. This is where I need to be."

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Addison has been a quick study, Cristobal said. Junior wide receiver Brenden Schooler also noted how impressive Addion's devotion to learning the playbook has been, calling it "surprising". Another peer believes it's been the work put into that department that has translated into a greater role for the talented frosh — who caught his first pass against Portland State on Saturday.

"He stepped up his game and got in the playbook," sophomore wide receiver Jaylon Redd said. "Once he did that, everything got easier for him. At the beginning of camp, I think he was overthinking everything. He knew he could do it, but once the play started it was too fast for him. When you know the playbook, and your alignment and assignment, the whole thing slows down for you, and you can just worry about playing."

The 12-yard catch came in the fourth quarter, as the Ducks continued to beat down in-state foe Portland State. It acted as a seminal moment for the freshman wideout.

“It was actually a really remarkable moment for me," he said. "I felt like with what I’ve been through with UCLA and coming here, I put a foot on the floor and opened the door. I said 'I’m here and I’m ready to play'."

The plan is for Addison to make more plays like the one he made over the weekend. According to Cristobal they "expect him to become more and more a part of the offense" this season.

"I think we all see he’s got really high potential," he added. "He’s long. He’s athletic. He can run. He has great bounce and body control. He’s got a great catch radius. You’ve seen how tall he is, and the fact that he uses his body well, not just in running by guys, but in the intermediate passing game… He’s been a pretty impressive guy so far."

At the very least, Addison provides a different look out wide. At 6-foot-5, he's three inches taller than the next tallest Oregon wideout.

“He can jump over anybody, I think," Redd said. "Once he gets that in his head, that he’s a monster who’s 6-foot-5 and he can get the ball and that it's his, it’s going to be a wrap for this offense."