Oregon doesn't start fall camp on Aug. 8, so we're trying to kill time with a little prognostication here and there. Today, Bri Amaranthus and Aaron Fentress count down their top three Ducks who must improve if Oregon is going to contend for the Pac-12 title in 2016.

NO. 3

Fentress' pick - Senior linebacker Johnny Ragin III: - Ragin provides some experience within a group loaded with inexperienced returning players. To help Oregon's move to the 4-3, Ragin must provide consistency and leadership.  

Quote: "He was taken to media day. He needs to play like a guy taken to media day. Last year, just 20 tackles. He going to need 60 or 70 to have an impact on that defense." '

Amaranthus' Pick - Junior left tackle Tyrell Crosby: - The three-year starter is on the quiet side vocally, but certainly creates noise on the field when he plows into defenders. Oregon could need him to provide leadership after losing seniors Tyler Johnstone and Matt Hegarty.

Quote: "He's got the physical abilities. We saw it last year. He started all 12 games. But he needs to become that emotional leader for the Ducks on the offensive line."

NO. 2

Fentress' pick - Redshirt freshman center Jake Hanson: - Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood praised Hanson's development during spring drills. Problem is, Hanson has never before played center. 

Quote: His youth could be a red flag, but "the last redshirt freshman to start for Oregon at center was Hroniss Grasu, who went on to win a couple of Rose Bowls, etc."

Amaranthus' Pick - Senior defensive end Torrodney Prevot: - The former four-star linebacker recruit has had a spotty career to date, now he moves to defensive end, where he could excel as a pass rusher in Oregon's new 4-3 scheme. 

Quote: "He moved from linebacker to defensive line during spring ball... He's going to have to put on a lot of weight. He wants to get to 255 pounds."

NO. 1

Fentress' pick - Sophomore defensive lineman Canton Kaumatule: - The former four-star recruit has the talent to become a dominant force but has been limited by injures, including a major concucssion suffered last season. 

Quote: "He has been compared to Buckner and Armstead, who are gone. He needs to play like one or both of those guys in order for that front seven to elevate itself after losing six of seven starters." 

Amaranthus' Pick - Junior cornerback Arrion Springs: - Springs is ultra talented. Just ask him. But mental lapses and inconsistent play have prevented him from reaching his potential. That must change this season. 

Quote: "Definitely talks the talk. We have to see him walk the walk a little bit more."

Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman has ranked his top 20 'Freaks' in college football for 2016.  The criteria for the list? "Top workout warriors in the sport or the guys who possess some rare physical abilities that wow folks inside their programs," says Feldman. 

One Duck graces the list at No.2 and it may not be who you think. In other words, it's not Royce Freeman. Can't figure out who it is? 

Devon Allen! 

From the article: In 2014, as a redshirt freshman, Allen — a legit world-class sprinter — was one of the Ducks’ most consistent wideouts as they made it to the national title game. He led Oregon in touchdown catches with seven and was third in receiving yards. Allen didn’t get to play in that title game after tearing up his knee and was limited last season, but he showed this summer that all of his speed is back. In fact, Allen qualified for the Summer Olympics in Rio with a 110-meter hurdles time of 13.03 seconds — the second-fastest time in the world this year. Allen also became the first man to win the 110 hurdles at both the NCAA Outdoor Championships and U.S. Olympic Trials in 60 years. After the Olympics, Allen plans to return to the Ducks football team, hoping to be ready for Oregon’s second game of the season.

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HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Oregon running back Royce Freeman remains the unassuming superstar. 

He seeks to avoid media attention like he does defenders. Freeman juked virtually all media during spring drills with a well conceived class schedule that left him unavailable. 

"Had to dip and dodge," he said with a smile. 

Being the face of the team, so to speak, meant Freeman found himself in a pool infested with media during Pac-12 media days, which started today in Hollywood. 

He couldn't avoid the questions or the spotlight. He handled himself well, as usual, deflecting questions that revolved around him and redirecting them toward the team. 

When asked about East Coast bias maybe impacting West Coast teams and players, Freeman didn't bite. Nor did he when asked about being overshadowed by Stanford senior running back Christian McCaffrey, last year's Pac-12 offensive player of the year and runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting. 

"I feel like you get what you deserve," Freeman said. "If you want praise and everything, then you're a 'me' guy, and that's not me."

How well Freeman is viewed nationally, he can't control. The Ducks, picked by the media to finish fifth in the Pac-12, must win big for his rushing numbers to get him into the Heisman race. And the field is deep, with several returners that placed within the top six in voting last season. 

However, there is one area where Freeman could make a lasting name for himself and cement his place within Oregon football lore for decades to come. The 235-pound Freeman, who wears No. 21,  needs 1,880 yards to surpass the most famous No. 21 in program history, LaMichael James' career rushing mark of 5,082, set from 2009 through 2011. Freeman has 3,203 career yards after rushing for 1,838 in 2015. 

Freeman said he's connected with James and the two have talked. 

"He's motivating me to be the best I can be," Freeman said. "It's just a family, as far as the running back culture."

James, who excelled at 180 to 190 pounds depending on the season, said he has encouraged Freeman to remain selfless, be a leader, allow his play to inspire others to work harder. He added that he would like nothing more than to see Freeman surpass him - again. Freeman last year broke James' single-season rushing mark.  

"Some people's egos get bruised but not mine," James said of having his records fall. "Every record I broke those guys were extremely happy for me. But I knew the records meant nothing in the long run. It's how you conduct yourself as a player."

Freeman said he hasn't given much thought to James' record. 

"Not really registering," he said. "I have a long way to go."

To get there, Freeman said he must continue to improve. Last season he worked on being better in open space. This season he wants to better use his weight as a weapon by running better "behind his pads," meaning using his power and pads as a weapon to inflict more damage. 

"I feel like that will compliment me as a bigger back," Freeman said. 

A better Freeman would certainly be a scarier Freeman for the Pac-12 to contend with. 
 

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - One of the hot Oregon-related topics at Pac-12 media days had nothing to do with football. 

Ducks' redshirt junior wide receiver Devon Allen's victory in the 110-meter hurdles during the U.S. Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene sent him to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and jolts of pride through UO football coach Mark Helfrich.

"It's awesome," Helfrich said today. "I was tearing up that night and I get misty every time I sit down and think about it for a while because he's just such a good dude."

Allen's Olympic endeavors could ultimately lead to him giving up football, although that decision remains unaddressed and very much up in the air. 

Allen started for the football team as a redshirt freshman in 2014 before injuring his knee returning a kickoff during the Rose Bowl. He returned to action last season but simply wasn't quite the same. Now nearly 20 months removed from the injury, Allen should be expected to return to his past form on the football field. 

Helfrich said Allen has been present at team development activities over the summer, and appears to be very much planning to return to football. Should Allen not return, the Ducks would be just fine at receiver, a testament to how well they have recruited the position. 

Oregon lost Bralon Addison and Byron Marshall to the NFL, and Kirk Merritt transfered. Losing Allen would compound the long list of departures at the position. Most teams would be devastated by such a loss of talent. Not Oregon. 

Senior Dwayne Stanford, redshirt junior Darren Carrington Jr. and junior Charles Nelson will likely start. Then there's redshirt sophomore Jalen Brown, who missed spring drills with injuries but Helfirch said is now back at full strength, and freshman Dillon Mitchell, who had two touchdowns in the spring game.

"We're very excited about that position," Helfrich said. "Obviously we would love to have Devon back just to solidify everything...but we're all so excited about our young guys there as well as our guys coming back."

First things first. Helfrich and the team want to see Allen win gold in Rio.

"It's crazy," UO running back Royce Freeman said of Allen's accomplishment. "I'm proud of my boy, Devon...Wishing all the best when he does go to Rio. Him qualifying and winning that race was great."

Freeman watched first hand as Allen went down against Florida State only to work his way back onto the football field and into the Olympics. 

"I'm excited for him," Freeman said. "Especially after his injury, it's well deserved. He's worked hard to accomplish that. I really couldn't think of anybody more deserving than that guy after his injury."

Freeman said he expects Allen to dazzle in Rio. 

"He's going to win it," Freeman said. "The boy is talented and he's blessed. And he's a hard worker."

Check out these Facebook Live videos from Pac-12 Media Days, and be sure to check in for more LIVE videos at facebook.com/csnnw.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - My how the mighty Ducks have fallen. 

After winning four conference championships in eight seasons and playing in two national title games, the Oregon Ducks shine has lost some shimmer. At least with those who cover the Pac-12 Conference. 

Media members picked Oregon to finish fourth in the Pac-12 North and fifth overall. Not one media member gave a vote of confidence that the Ducks would win the Pac-12 title game. 

"We know it's not as big of a target (on our backs)," UO junior running back Royce Freeman. "It's a long season. That's all I have to say... no matter where you're projected to end up in the conference, you just gotta win football games."

Oregon coach Mark Helfrich also brushed off the poll, as he said his team does with every poll.

"I don't think we've ever mentioned the BCS," he said. "I don't think we've ever mentioned the College Football Playoff. I don't think we've ever mentioned any poll. No offense, but it just doesn't happen."

Here is how the voting went, announced today at Pac-12 Media Days:

PAC-12 NORTH

1. Stanford (24 first-place votes), 186 points

2. Washington (8), 163

3. Oregon (1), 132

4. Washington State, 112

5. California, 67

6. Oregon State, 33

PAC-12 SOUTH

1. UCLA (19), 180

2. USC (12), 173

3. Utah (2), 127

4. Arizona, 87

5. Arizona State, 85

6. Colorado, 63 

Stanford received 20 votes to win the Pac-12 title game, followed by USC (5), Washignton (4), UCLA (3) and Utah (1). 

--- 

Of course, polls are for entertainment purposes only. If they always proved correct, Las Vegas sportsbooks would go out of business. 

Oregon certainly does have enough question marks to warrant such a low ranking. The Ducks (9-4 last season) lost six of their front-seven starters on defense, including conference defensive player of the year, DeForest Buckner, from a unit that ranked 115th in the nation. Oregon is once again turning to a transfer quarterback from the Big Sky Conference, Dakota Prukop out of Montana State, and the offensive line must replace two key starters now in NFL camps. 

Furthermore, the rest of the conference has improved dramatically since Chip Kelly coached at Oregon. It's simply not the same conference he dominated durihng his four seasons as the Ducks head coach (2009-2012). 

Still, Oregon is very talented in most areas and has a lot of players poised for breakthrough seasons. The Ducks could very well end up with the last laugh. That said, the voting is further indication that the Ducks' national title window indeed closed for the forseable future after quarterback Marcus Mariota left for the NFL following the 2014 season. 

Two weeks after promising wide receiver Kirk Merritt left Oregon, the sophomore has found a landing spot. And that spot is in the SEC with Texas A&M. 

The former four-star recruit out of Louisiana announced his transfer on Twitter:

I am excited and proud to announce that I will be a student athlete at Texas A&M University! #Gigem 👍 pic.twitter.com/NCwngjbi1z

— Kwik™ ⚡️ (@kirkmerritt33) July 8, 2016

Merritt played in 12 games last season as a true freshman, catching five passes for 61 yards while displaying elite level elusiveness. Oregon also used him on special teams and in spot duty at receiver. 

With the departure of receivers Byron Marshall and Bralon Addison to the NFL, Merritt figured to see an expanded role in 2016 and been in line to start by 2017. 

Now at A&M, NCAA transfer rules will force him to sit out a year. The season will essentially serve as a redshirt season and Merritt will have three years of eligibility remaining beginning in 2017.

EUGENE, Ore. – Senior guard Dylan Ennis’ petition for a sixth-year of eligibility was granted by the NCAA on Thursday.

Officially termed a Fifth-Year Rule Waiver, Ennis was granted a sixth year “based upon the totality of the circumstances and student-athlete well-being,” according to the NCAA.

Ennis appeared in just two games for Oregon in 2015-16 due to a left foot injury. The injury to the foot was initially discovered in the fall, after which Ennis went through surgery and rehabilitation, before returning to action Dec. 29. He played against Western Oregon and Oregon State before re-aggravating the injury.

The Brampton, Ontario, native transferred to Oregon from Villanova as a graduate senior in the summer of 2015. He averaged 9.9 points per game as the Wildcats won the 2014-15 Big East title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s third round.

Ennis is pursuing a graduate degree in conflict and dispute resolution.

Oregon's 2017 recruiting class is starting an upward climb in the national rankings that could land in the teens come signing day. 

The Ducks' class has jumped from No. 55 to No. 44 in the nation according to Rivals.com's rankings thanks to three huge gets in the past 10 days. 

Four-star linebacker Sampson Niu and four-star defensive back Deommodore Lenoir committed to Oregon last Thursday giving the Ducks four four-star commits among the eight players total that have said they will attend UO in 2017.  Oregon also received a commit from three-star tight end Moses Robinson-Carr on Monday. 

The program's 2016 recruiting class included just five four-star recruits out of 18 signees. There is reason to believe that Oregon could end up with closer to the eight four-star recruits signed to the 2015 class, which ranked 17th in the nation. 

According to A.J. Jacobson of DuckSportsAuthority, Oregon is in a strong position with several other four-star recruits that could commit soon. Jacobson has routinely said that although Oregon's class started out low in numbers, it was not because the Ducks were striking out with targeted players, but that said players had yet to make decisions. Several have made decisions lately, thus the influx of committments flowing Oregon's way. 

The program has historically (save for this year) closed strongly, so expect some big time commitments in January, weeks before signing day. 

It's been a very strong June for Oregon Football's 2017 recruiting class. The Ducks have eight total commits, six of which committed in June.

The most impressive part? Four of those commits are ranked as 4-star athletes. For a more in-depth look into Oregon's commits, check out the video above. 

[RELATED: Oregon recruiting bolstered by commitment from LB Sampson Niu]