Jordan James gains speed and an increased role as Oregon's expected starter at RB
Jordan James’ steady rise up the depth chart is expected to land him in the starting lineup this season for No. 3 Oregon.
A short-yardage specialist as a freshman in 2022, James became the Ducks' No. 2 running back in 2023 after Noah Whittington went down with a season-ending injury in September.
James took advantage of the increased playing time by rushing for 759 yards and team-high-tying 11 touchdowns on 107 carries. His average of 7.09 yards per carry led the Pac-12 and was 10th nationally. He also caught 15 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown.
“I got more handoffs, I got more experience, more touches, more game time, more reps,” James said. “That’ll help me in my bigger role this year.”
James said his focus during fall camp will be to fine-tune his game. The focus this past offseason, however, was to get faster.
“I do want to show some long speed,” he said. “I want to show people that I can be a big-play type of guy.”
There doesn’t seem to be any question that James’ offseason speed work has paid off.
“When you look at him right now he’s faster than he’s ever been,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said. “I’m talking like real break-away speed, which is very impressive.”
Stein said James was hitting a top speed of 22 miles an hour over the summer.
“And he’s over 200 pounds,” Stein raved. “He’s aggressive, he’s fearless, and he runs the ball how everybody envisions the running back to run the football — tough, breaks tackles, and trusts his tracks, trusts his training. He’s gonna have a a really good year for us.”
No matter how productive James is this fall, he won’t be carrying the load alone.
“The thing you want these days in a running back room is a stable of guys,” Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples said. “The bell cow days are over. You need a room full of really good backs and that’s what we’re trying to establish, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Whittington’s return from his knee injury will give the Ducks a boost. He’s a proven performer who has rushed for 925 yards and seven touchdowns in his 17 games at Oregon. He’s also caught 32 passes for 247 yards and one score.
Oregon also has sophomore Jayden Limar, who played in 11 games as a freshman in 2023 and rushed 24 times for 109 yards and a touchdown. He had seven receptions for 61 yards as well.
The Ducks bolstered the position by bringing in Division II star Jay Harris and consensus three-star high school recruit Da’Jaun Riggs.
“You want to have three or four guys,” Samples said. “You want to have two first- and second-down backs, essentially, and you want two guys that can be third-down backs and understand the aspects of pass catching, how to pick up exotic blitzes and how to see the field.”
Keep an Eye On
The 5-foot-11, 201-pound Limar doesn’t have the experience of James or Whittington, but he has talent and the versatility to earn himself more playing time this season.
“Jayden’s Mr. Consistent,” Samples said. “He has a process about everything he does. He’s very well thought out and very articulate in the film room. You know what you’re getting with this guy and it’s hard to count out a guy who’s consistent.”
Newcomer to Watch
Harris was a Division II all-American at Northwest Missouri State, where he played in 20 games over two seasons and rushed for 1,831 yards and 23 touchdowns on 333 carries, including 1,433 yards and 14 touchdowns on 244 carries as a sophomore in 2023.
Harris, who at 6-2, 220 pounds is the biggest back in the room, was impressive in Oregon’s Spring Game in April when he rushed 11 times for 49 yards and caught three passes for 34 yards and a TD.
“He’s really trying to take the process by the horns and it’s been showing on the field,” Samples said. “(Monday) was probably one of his better practices. … It’s just about that will and want to, and Jay has both.”
Number to know
8 — That’s how many starts this group of running backs has at the Division-1 level, and they all belong to Whittington, though only one has come since his transfer to Oregon from Western Kentucky in 2022.
Follow Chris Hansen on X @chansen_RG or email at chansen@registerguard.com. For more sports coverage, visit registerguard.com.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon football position preview: James rises to top of RB depth chart
