Please welcome new ScoopDuck contributor James Duty. (JPDuck22)

With fall camp starting in a couple weeks, I thought I would share my thoughts and insight on this coming season.

Coaching:

First things first. Coach Mario Cristobal gets his shot as a permanent Power 5 head coach. There have been many thoughts about how he would perform at this level, and while some concerns are valid, I believe they are off-base.

Missed most of the time is the success that CMC had leading Florida International. Taking a nearly defunct program to a conference championship and a bowl game victory is no small accomplishment.

On top of that, he received tutelage at Alabama from Nick Saban, the greatest college football coach we have seen – an insurmountable experience. Don’t believe me? Look at the coaches Cristobal has hired, or retained, the changes in strength and conditioning program, and the 2019 recruiting class he is putting together.

While I agree that in-game and in-season coaching are different than recruiting, I think we can all agree that Willie The Snake was more than frustrating last year as a head coach and offensive coordinator. Which leads me to my next point: I believe Marcus Arroyo will excel as a play caller.

Using his experience as a position coach in multiple offenses, adding what Cristobal has done with Oline play and with the addition of RB coach Jim Maestro and his mastery of the pistol formation, this offense has the potential to be an all-time great in Oregon history. We don’t have star-quality players that the likes of MM8 and Darron Thomas had in the backfield or out wide, but you have an NFL-ready arm who is unquestionably the smartest kid on the team under center (yes you will see Justin Herbert under center this year).

Arroyo and CMC will scheme guys open, manipulate the defense – and have some really great unknown RBs at their disposal. Expect to see wrinkles that we haven’t seen, changes in tempo and changes in style from drive to drive.

Behind an experienced offensive line, I anticipate that the Ducks will be one of the best rushing attacks in the country. Couple that with the run-pass option threat that JHerb poses and the offense opens up for big play potential at any moment. And that sets up opponents for nightmare match-ups weekly.

I’ll break down the offense in more detail more later.

The most underrated hire in the nation this off-season is strength coach Aaron Feld and his staff. Look: We have all seen the videos on Twitter and heard about #FlexFriday, but there is so much more to it than just weight training. These guys are taking it to the next level. Weights, coordination, plyometrics, nutrition – you name it, they have a handle on it. On top of that, the S&C coaches already are producing dividends in the recruiting game by showing off their knowledge.

I think you see a stronger, faster, more durable Oregon Duck team in 2018.

Defense:

Getting Jim Leavitt back might have been Mario’s largest recruiting win of the off-season, and Uncle Phil opened up the checkbook for him. With a proven track record on the defensive side of the ball, DC Leavitt's defenses have consistently made a huge leap between years one and two.

Add to that the return of coaches Joe Salave’a and Keith Heyward and bringing in Donte Williams and Cort Dennison, and you will see each position group make tremendous strides. With the number of starters they have coming back, there's a great chance that we see one of the best, if not the best, defense since the Gang Green in the mid-1990s.

Everybody knows the likes of Troy Dye, Jalen Jelks, Jordon Scott and Thomas Graham Jr. They are all great players, but there are many underrated athletes coming back that most people outside of Oregon don’t know anything about.

Some common questions I have seen: Who starts next to Dye at MLB? What about the lack of depth in the secondary? Who is going to be the biggest surprise on D this year? All great questions, with multiple answers to be honest.

Isaac Slade-Matautia, I believe, is the backer with the best chance to surprise this season. However, Keith Simms and Sampson Niu will push for the job, and both should receive ample playing time. Keep an eye on incoming freshman Adrian Jackson to make a push for PT and contribute on special teams.

I personally am not as worried as others about the depth in the secondary. Call me optimistic or what have you, but I think you have a lockdown corner in Graham, a second above-average CB in Deommodore Lenoir, an all-Pac-12-caliber safety in Ugochukwu Amadi and three guys that could all start and excel in the other safety spot. And that’s not counting the freshman and JUCO transfers that Oregon signed: Steve Stephens, Jevon Holland, Haki Woods, Verone McKinley III and Khalef Hailassie. All of them are good enough to contribute this season.

The other safety spot should go eventually to sophomore Nick Pickett, but I think Heyward and Williams will rotate guys in and out consistently. You will see a combination of Amadi, Pickett, Brady Breeze, Mattrell McGraw, Holland and Stephens throughout the season in the back half of the D. Should Graham or Lenoir go down, I would expect Amadi to slide over to CB. You should see an attacking, more complex version of last year's secondary.

The front 7 is stacked and will make the lives of the DBs much easier. You won’t see the demoralizing games of years past, with teams running all over this defense.

The likes of Scott, Austin Faoliu, Jelks, Justin Hollins, Gary Baker and Popo Aumavae will make the lives of opposing quarterbacks and running backs a living hell. Not to mention the person I believe will be the breakout star on defense: Lamar Winston Jr. at OLB. Expect big plays in the backfield and an uptick in turnovers created.

It’s very possible to see Jelks have a year like Dion Jordan did prior to becoming the #3 pick in the NFL draft. At the minimum, I anticipate a top-4 defense in the Pac-12 with this group of players and coaches.

My bold prediction, Oregon leads the conference in turnovers forced and sacks.

Offense:

Now, to break down the offensive weapons I see leading this team.

Obviously, should Herbert stay healthy and continue his ascension as a player, he could see himself as a Heisman finalist in December in New York. He has the arm to make every throw on the field, is a better runner than people will credit him for, and really doesn’t make too many mistakes. Everything I have heard from inside the building is that his deep ball is much improved, and that could drastically change the success of this offense.

If Herbert can take the top off the defense consistently, it will open lanes for Tony Brooks-James, Taj Griffin and CJ Verdell to run wild. While I am not ready to say he will be the Heisman winner, I do believe we see a very special season from #10.

The strength of this O will be the line. With Jake Hansen back for his third year at center, and with Calvin Throckmorton, Brady Aiello and Shane Lemieux returning, there will not be a dropoff in play even after losing Tyrell Crosby to the NFL. Add Alabama grad transfer Dallas Warmack, who has two years of eligibility left and can play right away, plus the best, and largest, recruiting class of lineman the Ducks have ever seen, and the position is both deep and strong.

I fully expect Warmack to start at guard this year alongside Lemieux, with Throckmorton and Aiello at the tackle spots. Throckmorton should be your replacement for Crosby on the blind side, but don’t be surprised to see George Moore or Penei Sewell get time at the tackle spots – or even push to start. CMC likes to have 8-9 lineman that can play at all times. With the addition of coach Alex Mirabal to tutor the guards and centers, Cristobal can focus on making sure the tackles excels.

Moving to the next spot down the line, I fully expect one hell of a tight end competition.

Jacob Breeland is your incumbent starter and should get the most starts and snaps, but a fully healthy Cam McCormick and freshman Spencer Webb will get playing time; both can make plays. And now that Kano Dillon has finished his summer class and completed his grad transfer from USF, he poses another matchup nightmare for opposing linebackers and DBs.

Expect to see Arroyo and Herbert incorporate the tight ends in the passing game a lot this season. They will certainly try to exploit matchups that they deem to be to their benefit.

Out wide, Dillon Mitchell is the big name and the one most expected to break out and be the number 1 guy. However, Johnny Johnson III and redshirt frosh Daewood Davis will have something to say about that.

Brenden Schooler is another guy to watch; he is just a football player. After starting at a freshman, he moved to wide receiver last year, Schooler is one of those guys you ask to do something and he will go out and do it. All four of these veterans will get snaps and looks on the outside, and can each make big plays in their own right.

The slot position will be interesting to see develop. With Charles Nelson graduating, there is a clear void to be filled. This is a spot ripe for Tabari Hines to fill in. He's going to come in polished and hungry and with only one season to play, I expect him to give it all he's got.

Jaylon Redd is another choice to take this spot and run with it. While I believe other guys will see time in the slot, Redd has the ability and opportunity to be absolutely special, a la De'Anthony Thomas. Redd, along with everyone else on the roster, is truly benefiting from the new strength staff. The whole team is getting stronger, more pliable and more dynamic, and that makes for a scary situation. I fully expect Redd to get touches all over the field this year. Whether its running routes, catching screens or getting a handoff, watch out once he gets the ball in his hands.

Senior Taj Griffin will get snaps in the slot too, because he is just too dynamic not to have on the field in certain situations. In order to utilize their speed, there is potential to see Demetri Burch, Malik Lovette and Darrian Felix in the slot as well this year.

After the departure of Royce Freeman, statistically the best back in program history, and with an influx of new faces for 2018, expect to see a running back by committee, with TBJ getting the starting nod. However, I do not however believe that lasts.

I anticipate that Verdell will be the starting running back by the end of the season and will lead the team in rushing yards. Between TBJ, Taj, CJ, Felix and more, you could see upwards of 7 backs get carries this season. Cyrus Habibi-Likio could be an option for short third down or goal line situations, and I think the coaching staff will fully take advantage of the new redshirt rule to get Travis Dye carries against the cupcake nonconference schedule. Same could be said for other freshmen, including QB Tyler Shough.

My bold offensive predictions: Justin Herbert is Pac-12 player of the year, Oregon leads the conference in rushing yards and touchdowns, and both Shough and Braxton Burmeister are able to redshirt this season in anticipation of Herbert returning for his senior year in Eugene.

Schedule: Nine wins should be attainable and the minimum goal in my opinion. You get three cupcakes early; Stanford, which has been prone to September league losses, early and at home; UDub at home; then Chip’s return to Autzen with UCLA. It has all the makings of an exciting season in Eugene.

But HEY!! Let’s go game by game with my predictions! (Please note that I will do predictions and breakdowns with more details once the season begins, and the picks could change.)

Sept. 1 (Saturday): 5 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks, Bowling Green in Eugene: This game will not be close. 77-10 Oregon.

Sept. 8 (Saturday): 11 a.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks, Portland State in Eugene. Again, another blowout of our one true in-state rival. 66-7 Oregon.

Sept. 15 (Saturday): 2 p.m. PT, Pac-12 Networks, San Jose State in Eugene. Stop me if you have heard this before; UO blows out SJSU 62-0.

Sept. 22 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Stanford in Eugene. Here comes the first test on the season. I honestly think this is the more winnable game between the Cardinal and UW, but I see a close loss. Oregon’s best hope is to completely shut down any semblance of a passing game and somehow hold Bryce love in heck. Still, 34-31 Stanford.

Sept. 29 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, California in Berkeley, Calif. This game will be vastly different than last year's, when Herbs got hurt and the passing game disappeared. I think Cal will be much better next year, and I really like what Justin Wilcox is doing, but I don’t think the Bears can keep up with UO’s offense yet. 42-21 Ducks.

Oct. 13 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Washington in Eugene. Insert Joker GIF here. AND. HERE. WE. GO! The game on the schedule that all Duck fans care about. Winning 12 straight was fun as hell, but the last two years has been incredibly painful to watch. I will be honest and inform you I watched every dreadful second of each game. It stung. It sucked. It cemented Helf's departure, IMO. While I said Stanford was the more winnable game, I think this is the upset that derails UW's CFB playoff hopes. If you want to call it anything, call it a hunch that this is Herbert’s Heisman moment. A strong offensive performance and a defense that wants to prove it belongs with the elite lead the Ducks to a extremely satisfying 35-17 victory over the hated doogs. Anticipate the D coming after and hitting QB Jake Browning for 60 minutes and eventually knocking him out of the game. There is animosity between these staffs, and Oregon has the most to prove.

Oct. 20 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Washington State in Pullman, Wash. In what will prove to be Mike Leach’s last season in the Paloose, Oregon wins big just like days of old. The final is 51-24 as Herbs and CJ carry the offense and the defense gets 5, count them, 5 interceptions off two different Coug QBs.

Oct. 27 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Arizona in Tucson, Ariz. The trap game. Most people expect a trap to come right after a big win like UW, would be but this is the one. Tucson has always been a difficult place for Oregon to win. Khalil Tate's revenge game showcases Kevin Sumlin’s offense. AZ 41-31.

Nov. 3 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, UCLA in Eugene. THE HOMECOMING. The man, the myth, the visor! We all love Chip and always should, IMO. But this is the new age, and Kelly is gonna face a pissed off team coming off a loss that will put it to the Bruins. With a raucous Autzen crowd and a team ready to respond, Oregon takes down UCLA in grand fashion. Chip has no answer for Leavitt’s in-game adjustments, and this game is over at the half – like Chip's games of yesteryear. 52-17. Quack, Quack, Quack.

Nov. 10 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Utah, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In what will be another disappointing season in SLC, Oregon comes away with a big win on the road. 42-17 good guys.

Nov. 17 (Saturday): Kickoff time and network TBD, Arizona State in Eugene. Herm. Edwards. Need I say more? I don’t expect this college-coaching marriage to last longer than two years, but I could be wrong. Ducks run away early and don’t let up. 59-21 Oregon.

Nov. 23 (Friday): 1 p.m. PT, FS1, Oregon State in Corvallis. The Civil War will not be pretty. This will be a better showing for the Beavers than 2017, but it's still a down year for little brother. I feel Jonathon Smith will be a good head coach and can get OSU back into bowl contention. Eventually. Oregon will pass, run and hit their way to another blowout win. 56-14 Ducks.

Count that up to a 10-2 season as I see it. I feel like this team is being overlooked, but there is so much untapped talent on the roster that can lead to an outstanding season. While 10-2 is probably better than most predictions and will get the Ducks into a top tier bowl, I don’t think it will be enough to win the Pac-12 North. Stanford or UW will face USC for the conference championship.