Path to the CFP, #13: Will Stein's Money
From UTSA to the big leagues overnight, Will Stein now heads the most balanced offense in the league; now his task is straightforward.
Will Stein finds himself in an enviable situation, for sure. A returning, fifth-year starter coming off a Heisman-esque season. A running backs room that runs five-deep, including a newcomer built like a fourth-year pro. And a wide receiver room with more talent than any during the previous decade-plus.
Yes, it was an easy choice for Stein when the call came this offseason from Dan Lanning.
Come to Oregon, and play with house money.
“When the University of Oregon calls, you answer, you listen, you accept,” Stein said back in April. “It’s a lifetime opportunity for me and my family.”
Like his predecessor, Stein is a fast riser in the college ranks, the next in line of whiz-kid offensive minds taking over both the pro and college ranks. The former Louisville quarterback comes to Eugene after a successful stint at UTSA, where he helped turn receiver Zakhari Franklin into one of the most sought-after transfer portal recruits.
The Roadrunners’ offense averaged 476 yards per game, with 300 coming through the air. Stein’s ability to dissect defenses and play to his players’ strengths made him a hot commodity when the offseason arrived.
That’s when Lanning called.
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Oregon’s track record of offensive coordinators is well-documented, mainly for good, some for the flails (looking at you, Crowton). But Stein enters a unique situation in which his task is simple yet profoundly complicated.
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Keep the train on the track, don’t deviate…and, oh, yeah…keep everyone happy.
My previous praise of Oregon’s skill players isn’t hyperbole. Top to bottom, you must strain hard to find a time when the Ducks featured this much talent for their quarterback and coordinator to utilize. When Stein was hired, the message from the top on down, to anyone who would listen, was that not much would change from Oregon’s 2022 offense, one of the most lethal in the nation. Losing Kenny Dillingham to his alma mater at Arizona State was a sting, but it also created one of the most sought-after positions in the country.
Want to throw the rock? Take your pick from Troy Franklin, last year’s breakout star. Or Traeshon Holden, who started multiple games for Alabama. Want to go small? How about Gary Bryant or (really small) Tez Johnson? Oh, and factor in the conference’s best (Terrance Ferguson) and most athletic (Kenyon Sadiq) tight ends.
Or, pound the rock.
Bucky Irving, Noah Whittington, and Jordan James all return for perhaps the most talented three-headed monster out west. Sprinkle a ready-made true freshman in Donte Dowdell and a scat-back of the future in Jayden Limar for fun.
Mix in the Bo Nix factor, and taking that call was a pretty easy decision.
Stein has one job and one directive in 2023. The job is to take what worked so well in 2022 and try to improve it. The directive is don’t derail the obvious path.
Stein took his seat at the table. Lanning handed him a stack of cash.
Time to play.
