There is no question which running backs will be leading the backfield this season. After breaking out as freshmen, Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. are set to share the load for the Oregon Ducks in 2026, but the depth behind them is largely unproven.
Da'Jaun Riggs has missed plenty of time with injuries over the past couple of seasons. Simeon Price is new to the team and hasn't broken out at either of his previous stops. The Ducks have a pair of true freshmen joining the program, and one has seemingly separated himself from the pack in fall camp.
Brandon Smith was a late pledge to the Ducks, being released from his letter of intent to Arizona before signing with Oregon. The 6-foot, 203-pound running back has quickly made an impression in Eugene
and could be in line for a role early in the season.
Hill had a big fall camp last year as a freshman, and he was rewarded with a big role in the offense early on. There is no reason Smith couldn't do the same, and Hill didn't shy away from lofting praise toward Smith, likening him to one of the NFL's best tailbacks.
"I guess you could say probably Saquon Barkley," Hill said when asked who Smith compares to. "Absolutely, that's kind of the thing we've been saying in our room. He wears 26, kind of has a stride of Saquon, so I would probably say Saquon if I had to say something.”
As a high school senior, Smith rushed for 2,189 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2025 while also catching 25 passes for 385 yards and five more scores. The four-star back from Fresno, California, has tremendous speed and plows through defenders. If Barkley is Smith's potential ceiling in Oregon's offense, there is plenty of room for the freshman to grow while still making an impact early in his career.
The 2025 season was an outlier for the Ducks, as not many true freshmen step into a big role right away at Oregon. However, as Dan Lanning always says, "If you're good enough, you're old enough." That just might be the case for Smith, but time will tell how he handles the big moments on Saturdays.
Fortunately, Oregon has plenty of veteran leaders available to help guide the way.
"I think the hardest part for freshman sometimes is confidence rate," linebacker Devon Jackson said. "You know, just trying to lock in sometimes. So I just realize I gotta mess with (Smith) sometimes. But that's my dog."
After a recent practice, Jackson was blown away by how quickly the freshman back picked up the offense and made the Oregon defense sweat. Thankfully, the Ducks won't have to try to tackle Smith on game day, but his practice performances have inspired plenty of optimism.
"I ain’t gonna lie, he torched us yesterday. He scored like three times," Jackson said of Smith. "Had what felt like 300 yards. He embarrassed us yesterday. But he's a really good player, and that's somebody that puts his head down at work. He's gonna be a good player for us, for sure.”
Davison and Hill earned a reputation last year for differing play styles. Davison is the thunder for running through tackles and dominating at the goal line, while Hill let his speed do the talking out of the backfield. Smith can do a little bit of both, and his versatility is a welcome sight in a room full of backs looking to prove themselves.
“I really wouldn't say he reminds me of anybody from here," Hill said. "He has his own style of play, but he's very, very good for a young back. He came in, he learns things very fast, runs hard, and just has the edge. He wants to be here. You can tell by just how he practices."
Smith isn't even Oregon's highest-rated freshman running back, falling behind fellow four-star Tradarian Ball in the rankings, but his performance in fall camp has thrust him onto the radar. Smith will make his debut with the Ducks in the season opener on Sept. 5 against Boise State.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon RB Brandon Smith drawing comparisons to Saquon Barkley
