Reviewing Oregon's 2016 season and looking ahead to spring drills.

DEPTH CHART

RB: Royce Freeman , Jr.; Tony Brooks-James , So.; Kani Benoit , Jr.; Taj Griffin , So.; Jarret LaCoste , Sr.; Steven Maines , Sr.

Starter: Four months ago, it didn't seem unreasonable to think Royce Freeman would be Oregon's all-time leading rusher by now, and a sure thing to declare for the 2017 draft. That was before Freeman endured a junior season marked by injuries, beginning in the third game of the year at Nebraska. A year after running for a UO single-season record 1,836 yards as a sophomore, Freeman ended up with 945 as a junior, with nine touchdowns. After taking a hit to the leg at Nebraska he never seemed himself until late in the season, when he flashed in spurts against Utah and Oregon State.

Reserves: Freeman sat out the week after the Nebraska game, when the Ducks hosted Colorado and Kani Benoit got the start. But sophomore Tony Brooks-James was the breakout star that day, rushing 16 times for 120 yards, and he was actually Oregon's leading rusher for the season from that point forward. Brooks-James ran for 109 yards at California and 132 in the win over Arizona State, earning him the start at USC. Freeman rebounded from his struggles over the rest of November, but Brooks-James ran well enough throughout October to help ease concerns should Freeman declare for the draft.

Benoit took the reins after Freeman was hurt at Nebraska and ran for 100 yards that afternoon, including a 41-yard touchdown. That game also featured a 50-yard touchdown run by electric sophomore Taj Griffin , who had trouble finding carries behind the other trio. Griffin ultimately suffered a non-contact knee injury in a November practice and faces a long recovery process. Also on the depth chart was senior walk-on Jarret LaCoste , a hard-working in-state kid who set the tone in practices and the weight room with his work ethic.

Redshirts: After a preseason camp in which quarterbacks Taylor Alie and Jeff Lockie were asked to fill in at running back, the Ducks welcomed Steven Maines after spotting him in a walk-on tryout. Maines ended up sharing scout-team duties with LaCoste over the latter part of the season.

SPRING PROJECTION

RB: Royce Freeman , Sr.; Tony Brooks-James , Jr.; Kani Benoit , Sr.; Taj Griffin , Jr.

What to watch: With no clarity at the moment regarding Freeman's intentions for 2017, he remains at the top of the depth chart. Through three seasons he's rushed for 4,146 yards and 44 touchdowns, leaving him well within range for LaMichael James' school records of 5,082 and 53 touchdowns. Should Freeman opt to turn pro, Brooks-James will have, as noted, made a strong case in 2016 for taking over as the regular back. Benoit will have a chance to challenge for carries too, while Griffin's status depends on the speed of his recovery. With Freeman back and Griffin healthy, it was an embarrassment of riches; the absence of one or both in 2017 would require an infusion from the incoming recruiting class.