thomas-tyner-oregon-ducks.JPG

Thomas Tyner

(Thomas Boyd, The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- If Monday was supposed to bring any sort of closure to Oregon's three-headed monster of a running backs competition, then the day ended up being a failure.

When Oregon's depth chart was released Monday afternoon, the three guys fighting for Oregon's top spot each found themselves there – just with the company of their peers.

The depth chart lists junior Byron Marshall, sophomore Thomas Tyner and freshman Royce Freeman as the Ducks' No. 1 back. While Tyner's is the one literally above the other two, running backs coach Gary Campbell said to not look at it that way. Marshall might the leading returning rusher in all of the Pac-12, but as far as the Ducks are concerned, Saturday's season opener against South Dakota will feature running backs 1, 1A and 1B.

"I got it as a three-way tie right now," Campbell said. "It's an Or, or, or. So we'll see as the week goes on."

The old saying goes, "If you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one." In Oregon case, if you have three starting running backs, you have a very happy running backs coach. Campbell has often praised each member of the trio throughout the fall and didn't seem concerned about making a starting decision on Monday.

It would be hard to blame him.

With Marshall, Campbell has an experienced back who rushed for 1,038 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Tyner is bigger and faster than Marshall, rushed for more than 700 yards a season ago and has reportedly turned a corner from last season with the coaching staff. Tyner, a player of incredible physical talent, has changed the way he's practiced this fall. He's also developing into a player who trusts his ability and what he can do with his talent.

"He's one of those guys that dips his toe in the water and goes, 'OK. Oh OK, I can cut it loose,'" Mark Helfrich said earlier in the month. "The guy is an excellent protector and an excellent blocker when he's fully cut loose. He just needs to have a little more confidence in what he's doing.

"Part of that is experience."

And then there is Freeman, a man with no experience but plenty of hype. At 6-foot, 229-pounds, Freeman is the biggest in the group and is coming off a senior season at Imperial High (Calif.) that saw him rush for 2,824 yards and 41 touchdowns. Just about everyone on the roster has lauded the way Freeman came into camp: focused and ready to play. The Ducks have wasted no breath saying he will do so.

Like Tyner and Marshall before him, Freeman survived the fall without being redshirted. Not many players in recent Oregon history have been touted as widely as Freeman, and it's looking like he'll get every opportunity to prove it on the field.

"We don't plan on redshirting anybody," Campbell said. "Every guy we bring in we want him preparing to be a starter. He came in with that attitude and he's coming along very well."

So what does this do for an Oregon team that has averaged more than 270 yards per game over the last three seasons? Well, it gives them options. It also keeps those backs competitive. With how close the three are, none can afford to slip on the field.

"It just shows that we are all competing with each other and have great competition at that position," Tyner said. "Coach Campbell knows what he's doing. Yeah, we're all working hard for that spot."

Entering his third year as Oregon's starting quarterback, Marcus Mariota has never had to worry about the running game. The Ducks averaged 315.2 yards per game his first season. It slid a bit last year, coming in at 273.5, but still led the Pac-12. None of those seasons had the hype that this year's class does. Mariota said Oregon doesn't really have a bad option to choose – even if it's Freeman, a freshman who will be asked to play up to the pace of his Heisman-candidate quarterback.

"Any one of those guys can come in and play for us right away," Mariota said. "We have all the confidence in the world in each of those guys. Each of them are preparing as if they're the starters. Whoever it may be, we have confidence in them."

The only concern the Ducks may have at this point is making sure each back gets the carries needed to find a rhythm. Campbell said he's not concerned with keeping players happy, but Tyner said the best way to start playing better is game repetition.

"In this offense, you really have to practice getting down the tempo and learn how to read everything," he said. "Getting a lot of reps is crucial."

Whether Tyner gets the bulk of those, or they're evenly divided amongst the trio, will be something we find out over the coming weeks. Saturday might not be the best testing ground, as the Ducks are expected to roll South Dakota, but a week after that they'll face a stout defense in No. 8 Michigan State. The early test will be one of Oregon's toughest all season, and could play a major part in deciphering whether or not the No. 1 spot on the depth chart remains a trio.

-- Tyson Alger | @tysonalger