LOS ANGELES -- Chip Kelly and the

, so it should come as no surprise that when it was the Ducks' turn to take the stage at Pac-12 media day Tuesday at Universal Studios, it was a brief segment.

It seemed that everyone was tired by the end of the formal Q&A, which meant Kelly fielded only a few questions, most of them about sophomore phenom

.

"There are some things in practice that he's done that just make you go, 'Wow!'" Kelly said. "He was like that from the start last year. ... He's a smart kid, he understands concepts well. We'll keep adding to his plate a little bit."

Despite the loss of All-American running back LaMichael James, the Ducks look to be in good shape for the upcoming season: Kelly pointed out that Oregon has 65 freshmen and sophomores on the 2012 roster, which means things shouldn't be slowing down in Eugene anytime soon. Indeed, the media seems to agree, as Oregon was picked to finish first in the Pac-12 North preseason poll. (USC was picked to win the conference title.)

James is gone, but senior Kenjon Barner -- often referred to as back "1B" to James' "1A" -- is still around, and he's not worried about carrying more of the load.

"I'm sure there are doubters out there, but doubters lead to strength, doubters give you drive," Barner said. "I'm excited about the opportunity."

Kelly expects Barner and Thomas' roles to increase, and says he's confident they'll handle the increased expectations this season.

That said, Kelly would prefer that Barner didn't have to do too much by himself. There were times in James' career that he wound up with 30 carries a game, something Kelly doesn't want for Barner. Kelly acknowledged Oregon's lack of depth at the running back position, but also pointed out that with Thomas and Barner on the roster, he tends to sleep pretty easy at night.

"You will see them both on the field at the same time, and I think what that presents to a defense, combined with some of the other weapons we have, it's going to make defensive coordinators stay up late at night," Kelly said.

Barner and Clay are eager for the start of fall camp, on Aug. 6, and Clay said he's especially looking forward to seeing which of the freshmen might be able to step up and contribute right away.

2012 Pac-12 Media Day 19 Gallery: 2012 Pac-12 Media Day

"We've been working with these new guys all offseason, so now it's about if they can get in there and compete and earn a spot," Clay said. "Playing as a true freshman is an honor, so I'm excited to see what they can do."

Because this is Oregon, where a constant buzz surrounds the Ducks' off-field ventures, Clay and Barner were also quizzed about the Ducks' uniforms.

Asked what new combinations fans can plan for this season, Barner laughed.

"Who knows what to expect?" he said. "It's Oregon."

Barner also poked fun at the rumors surrounding the under-construction football complex, which last week was reported to include a hot tub in Kelly's office. (That report has since been corrected, and Oregon spokesman Dave Williford said Tuesday that there will be a hot tub in the coaches' locker, room but to his knowledge there are no plans for a video set up where coaches will watch film while hot tubbing.)

"I guess if you flirt with leaving for the NFL, you get a hot tub," Barner said.

On a serious note, Clay pointed out that Oregon's constant approach of thinking outside the box has helped the Ducks carve out their own niche in college football.

"I think people will be really amazed about what's being built on the Oregon campus with the football complex and definitely, it helps recruiting-wise," Clay said. "Everybody wants to be the top name when it comes to innovation, and Oregon is just a step ahead of people."

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