Oregon Ducks

Byron Marshall named one of the 10 most indispensable players in the country

Published Aug. 5, 2015 3:07 p.m. ET

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Grantland's Matt Hinton recently wrote about college football's 10 most indispensable players of the 2015 season. In his piece, which is very much worth your time, Hinton explains why Oregon WR/RB Byron Marshall is among the nation's most important players to his team.

Here is an excerpt from Hinton's piece about Marshall:

"In 2013, Marshall was the Ducks’ leading rusher, topping 100 yards in six of their first eight games before an ankle injury curbed his production down the stretch. In 2014, forced out of his natural position by the emergence of true freshman workhorse Royce Freeman, Marshall was the Ducks’ leading receiver, becoming the first player in FBS history to log 1,000-yard campaigns by ground in one season and air in another. Like Foster, Marshall can’t really be pigeonholed in the standard RB-or-WR box, because he does so much of both in a hybrid role that Oregon sometimes refers to him as the “Taser.” So while he was more prominently involved in the passing game last year, he's still a threat to line up in the backfield, or to take a jew sweep of of motion."

He continued:

"Of course, Marshall was one of many, many weapons at Marcus Mariota’s disposal the past three years, and many of those other playmakers return in 2015. After three years of adapting the offense to accommodate a dazzlingly efficient quarterback, though, Mariota’s absence could result in a return to a more run-heavy attack in which Marshall would likely play a substantial role. Beyond that, the Ducks are unsettled on the receiving end, with returning targets Devon Allen (ACL) and tight end Pharaoh Brown (knee) in line for possible redshirts and Darren Carrington facing a likely NCAA suspension for a failed drug test. Personnel questions aside, Oregon’s offense remains a sure thing year in and year out, and in this particular year Marshall is the surest thing about it."

(h/t Grantland)