Oregon RB Royce Freeman the new Beast Mode?

Is Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman the new Beast Mode? He certainly has the potential to be a big time NFL RB and Heisman candidate…

Oregon Ducks running back Royce Freeman is sort of going underrated in a year where there are so many good college football running backs. With Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, and Christian McCaffery dominating headlines, Freeman is flying under the radar not only as a Heisman candidate but a very good potential NFL prospect.

Entering his junior season, it’s clear that Freeman is a big time blend of power, quickness, and finishing ability.

You hate to pigeon-hole guys into NFL comparisons, but his combination of size, vision, and the way he sheds tacklers sort of reminds me a little bit of recently retired Marshawn Lynch, who had a stellar NFL career that included some of the greatest runs you will see.

At 6-1, 230 pounds, Freeman has better speed than you would assume for a guy of that size, and he doesn’t go down hardly ever on first contact. He has excellent vision and always has his feet moving. He can utilize power when he needs to, but he can also stop on a dime and accelerate to the second and third level.

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Oregon hasn’t produced many top flight NFL backs despite having some of the best production in college football, but Freeman appears to be a different breed. He has much better size than some of the backs that have preceded him with the Ducks, and more than being a stretch runner who is effective only on the perimeter, Freeman has the skill set to be able to handle a full workload as a between the tackles runner.

He is certainly a name to watch in the Heisman race this year, especially with Oregon breaking in another new quarterback. Proving his worth as a runner and receiver, Freeman has scored 19 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons with the Ducks, and is well on his way to top 40 status as an NFL prospect if he continues his rapid ascent.

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