David Paulson was a rock. A leader, a clutch playmaker and a great locker room guy. Every championship team needs players like David Paulson, athletes who understand that call of duty is more than a video game, who run toward responsibility instead of the stat sheet.

It's more than the catches for touchdowns or big first downs, and he made plenty of those. Watch the highlight films of James, Barner and Thomas, and count the key blocks by Paulson, a 3-year starter and Academic All-Conference award winner.

The Ducks have a long and impressive line of reliable, big-play tight ends. Josh Wilcox, Blake Spence, Justin Peele, George Wrightster, Dante Rosario, Ed Dickson and now Paulson all spent time in the NFL after standout careers with the Webfoots. Paulson's graduation leaves a big void, probably the biggest single position question mark on the roster after quarterback. QB has proven to be a bit plug-and-play for Oregon, but position coach Tom Osborne and offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich rely on the TE/H-back to do so much in the Oregon offense. The TE becomes the lead blocker on many of the Ducks outside running plays, moves around in the formation, and is vital for balance in the passing game with the crossing, seam and possession routes the team needs to exploit the whole field. There's no spread in the spread offense without execution from the tight end.

Can Colt Lyerla, Evan Baylis, Pharoah Brown, Reggie Daniel and Lake Koa'Kai imitate the reliability and durability that made Paulson, and Dickson and the others before him, such great weapons in the Oregon offense?

Chip Kelly has won conference championships with two vastly different quarterbacks. Jeremiah Masoli was a fullback who could throw a little. Darron Thomas, underappreciated by many fans despite a 23-3 record as a starter and 66 career touchdown passes, had limitations as both a runner and a pocket passer but excelled in three areas: toughness, leadership, and distributing the football.

Now the job falls to two relatively untested underclassmen. Oregon has all the elements of another conference title team and even a contender for the national title, but the biggest single question mark on their roster is inexperience at football's most vital position. Bryan Bennett and Marcus Mariota are both better throwers than both of their predecessors, and both are nimble runners (Mariota is Oregon's fastest quarterback. Bennett averaged 8.7 yards a carry in his 8 appearances last year) but neither has played in a big game since high school. How will they handle the USC Trojans and The Los Angeles Coliseum on national tv?

With a week until preseason camp opens, there's no time for paens to winning the day.

2012 could set up like 2010.  The Ducks return a strong lineup but have some big question marks. Like 2010 they're blessed with a favorable early schedule, no big tests out of conference. This year they don't leave the Northwest in the first five games, four in Autzen, and a neutral site game with Washington State at Century Link Field in Seattle.

1. Does the offense lose productivity without LaMichael James and Darron Thomas?

Scott Frost will be a head coach one day, but until he is, the Ducks are blessed with a driven and focused assistant who has done a masterful job of grooming the Oregon receiver corps. He's a perfect fit for the staff with his experience, attention to detail and dislike of the spotlight. A six-year NFL veteran and a former National Champion quarterback at Nebraska, he speaks with authority on the practice field, relates well to players, and has a youthful energy that creates connections on the recruiting trail.

Frost has a challenge ahead of him in 2012. The Ducks could be good, very, very good with an aggressive, hard-hitting defense, two elusive running backs and a solid offensive line, but Oregon will be young at receiver. Offensively, they have the speed and talent to be among the nation's elite again, but replacing Darron Thomas, LaMichael James, David Paulson, LaVasier Tuinei, Mark Asper, Ramsen Golpashin and Darrion Weems means younger players have to be made ready to take a much bigger role, especially at receiver, where the only returnees with extensive playing time are Josh Huff, who remains a question mark because of a lingering injury and a disciplinary issue, and De'Anthony Thomas, who will have a bigger load at running back this season.

photo left: Frost working a drill, physical and hands-on (oregonlive.com photo).

One of the biggest questions for Oregon in Fall Camp is who will step up receiver. In the season's first three games, the position coach will have to establish a rotation and find out who can be depended upon to make plays in games. His guys have three home contests to find the rhythm and rapport in the passing game and get comfortable with their new quarterback.

Guest Article by Michael Tallia

[Editor's note: Michael Tallia is a journalism student at the University of Oregon, an avid Duck fan, and a representative for Rent Like a Champion, a company that offers rental properties for football weekends near Autzen Stadium and around the country.]

Meet Dontre Wilson, the 5'8 RB [editor's note: recruiting sites have Wilson at about 5-10, 175-180, which makes him about the size of LaMichael James as a prep] from De Soto High School in Texas, quite possibly the next big playmaker for the Oregon Ducks. In recent exchanges with reporters, it seems that he has cut his list down to Ohio State and The Ducks! Many assume that he has the Ducks atop his board after a very successful visit to Eugene, where he spent most of his time with LaMichael James, a native to Texas who knows what its like moving away from home. According to reports, Wilson's family is close with James and has stayed in constant contact with him which makes landing him an even bigger possibility.

Another package of Texas dynamite: small and lightning-quick, Wilson could be a perfect fit in the explosive Oregon offense, and he came away impressed by his Eugene visit (eugenedailynews.com photo).

In his first three seasons Kenjon Barner did things in flurries and bursts, and now he has the opportunity to be the man.

The national pundits are reservedly optimistic about Oregon this year, most ranking the Ducks in the top 5, but behind PAC-12 rival USC. The consensus is there's a lot of talent in Eugene, but they have to travel to The Coliseum to face the Trojans, and there are giant question marks at quarterback and running back, plus depth concerns at linebacker and a dearth of proven wide receivers.

Can Barner carry the load for a full season as a feature back? He's missed multiple games with injuries in each of the last two years. Can he thrive without LaMichael James as his running mate, and be the senior leader in an offense full of younger players?

photo left: Confident and charismatic, Barner's leadership and production will define the 2012 Oregon Ducks. (oregonlive.com photo)

Not so fast, my friend.

After Marcus Mariota's impressive debut in an Oregon uniform, many fans will be ready to annoint him the immediate starter and the next Dennis Dixon, while sending Bryan Bennett back to number two. Fans loved Bennett in the middle of last season when he came off the bench against Arizona State and Washington State to spark wins, starting and going the whole way against Colorado and performing steadily in a lopsided win.

Bennett had a bad day Saturday. He was out of rhythm without a dependable running game or open targets, harried into three costly mistakes, two interceptions that included a pick six and a fumble. He struggled behind a patchwork line, falling victim to the red jersey/touch rule on a number of occasions. Elusive and nimble in live action last season while compiling a rushing average of 8.7 yards per carry, BB looked frustrated yesterday as plays were blown dead anytime the defense laid a hand on him.

Every year, you kind of get reborn.

The season could go a variety of ways, because seasons can. It's a big part of why we watch and participate, the unexpected, the unpredictable, the promise of seeing something you've never seen before, how things turn out, and maybe even the unfolding of a dream.

Last night I watched KU come from 13 points down just before the half in the Final Four versus Ohio State, with about six lead changes in the final four minutes, even down by five late in the game, tossing a clinching steal out of bounds, a game that had that wrung out, exhilarated feeling that a great game can give you.

photo left: Eight months of competition will produce a new quarterback for the Oregon offense, and the winner could give Duck fans another season of great games and memorable moments. It just might be Marcus Mariota (espngo.com photo).