Oregon Ducks

Charles Nelson will start camp as WR, but will likely be used as DB also

Published Aug. 10, 2015 2:33 p.m. ET

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Oregon sophomore Charles Nelson may be the Ducks' hottest commodity these days. The wide receiver broke out during the last seven games of the 2014 season and he was Oregon's most reliable special teams player all year. Now, however, the defense is trying to steal him away. 

"Charles is one of the best football players I've been around in a long time," said Oregon's offensive coordinator Scott Frost, according to Daniel Uthman of USA Today Sports. "He can do almost anything you ask him to on the field."

Oregon's defensive backfield, which is filled with new faces this year, could use Nelson's help. However, with RB Thomas Tyner out for the season and WR/RB Byron Marshall likely to fill in for him, Nelson remains a critical member of Oregon's offense. 

That being said, Oregon's defensive coaches still want him on their side of the ball.

"Anytime you take a great player, no matter where it is or what sport it is, and you move him, he's still going to be a great player," said Oregon's secondary coach John Neal. "And I knew that we'd have that because No. 1, he's really smart. He cares, he wants to be special, and I already knew he could tackle. And then he had ball skills because he was a receiver."

Frost acknowledged that Nelson could be special as a defensive back.

"We gave him to the defense, and I think he has a great chance of starting and being a special player over there for us," Frost said following Oregon's spring game. "But it's great that he already knows the offense and we can put him back in there at a moment's notice. He might be one of the guys that actually gets to play two ways."

As Mark Helfrich pointed out during Pac-12 Media Days, Nelson is likely to see time on both offense and defense. "He'll still be both. I think he's just too talented, and he can do it."

According to Rob Moseley of GoDucks.com, Nelson will begin fall camp at receiver. However, as Helfrich has made clear, Nelson will likely see time on both sides of the ball. 

(h/t USA Today)

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