Damien Martinez, Bucky Irving lead Beavs, Ducks on ATHLON Preseason All Pac-12 Teams
By 750 THE GAME STAFF
It is never too early to think about the 2023 college football season. Athlon Sports agrees, and this week they rolled out their predictions conference-by-conference for the fall.
That includes the 2023 preseason Pac-12 All-Conference teams, and numerous Ducks and Beavers made Athlon’s list.
Notably, Athlon includes four teams each for the offense, defense, and special teams, more than the traditional three teams in the official Pac-12 preseason awards voted on by the media.
For the full list of All Pac-12 selections from Athlon, click here.
A total of 15 Oregon Ducks and 12 OSU Beavers made Athlon’s list.
Beavers sophomore running back Damien Martinez and Ducks junior running back Bucky Martinez headline Athlon’s First Team offense.
The Beavers place a trio of offensive linemen on the First Team including center Jake Levengood and tackles Joshua Gray and Tailese Fuaga.
Oregon defensive end Brandon Dorlus makes the First Team Defense, the only Ducks or Beavs player to make it.
Anthony Gould represents the Beavs on the First Team Specialists as a punt returner.
On the Second Team Offense, Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin leads the way, while transfer defensive end Jordan Burch lands on the Second Team Defense along with Beavers safety Kitan Oladapo.
Oregon kicker Camden Lewis and Beavs receiver Silas Bolden make the Second Team Specialists, with Bolden at kick returner.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix leads the Third Team All Pac-12 Offense from Athlon. USC’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. were respectively named to the first two teams.
Ducks running back Noah Whittington gets a slot on the Third Team at All-Purpose, while sophomore offensive lineman Josh Conerly Jr. also makes the Third Team.
A bevy of Ducks and Beavs make the Third Team Defense including OSU’s James Rawls and Sione Lolohea on the defensive line. Oregon’s Jeff Bassa gets the nod at linebacker and Evan Williams, the transfer from Fresno State, gets the spot at safety.
On the Fourth Team, OSU’s Gould pops up at wide receiver in addition to his First Team Specialist nod. Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson slots on the Fourth Team and offensive linemen Marcus Harper II and Ajani Cornelius, a transfer from Rhode Island, also make the list.
Ducks linebacker Mase Funa gets a spot on the Fourth Team Defense as does cornerback Dontae Manning. Oregon State linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold and defensive back Ryan Cooper also make the list here.
DraftKings has the Oregon Ducks 2023 win total set at 9.5 wins, matching USC for the highest in the conference. Oregon State is at 8 wins.
ATHLON’s Beavers and Ducks preseason All Pac-12 selections, in list form:
First Team
RB – Damien Martinez (OSU)
RB – Bucky Irving (UO)
C – Jake Levengood (OSU)
OL – Joshua Gray (OSU)
OL – Tailese Fuaga (OSU)
DL – Brandon Dorlus (UO)
PR – Anthony Gould (OSU)
Second Team
WR – Troy Franklin (UO)
DL – Jordan Burch (UO)
S – Kitan Oladapo (OSU)
K – Camden Lewis (UO)
KR – Silas Bolden (OSU)
Third Team
QB – Bo Nix (UO)
All-Purpose – Noah Whittington (UO)
OL – Josh Conerly, Jr. (UO)
DL – James Rawls (OSU)
DL – Sione Lolohea (OSU)
LB – Jeffrey Bassa (UO)
S – Evan Williams (UO)
Fourth Team
WR – Anthony Gould (OSU)
TE – Terrance Ferguson (UO)
OL – Marcus Harper II (UO)
OL – Ajani Cornelius (UO)
LB – Mase Funa (UO)
LB – Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (OSU)
CB – Dontae Manning (UO)
DB – Ryan Cooper (OSU)
