College Football

What Mar’Kiese Iriving adds to Ducks’ backfield

What Mar’Kiese Iriving adds to Ducks’ backfield

On Sunday afternoon, with just a day left before the transfer portal deadline made it so players would have to sit out the 2022 season with their new schools, the Oregon Ducks added a really nice player to the roster.

That player is running back Mar’Keise Irving, a former Minnesota Golden Gophers player who will come to Oregon with three years left of eligibility after playing in 12 games as a freshman in 2021.

Irving is an important addition for Oregon since the Ducks are relatively thin at the RB position with only three scholarship players on the roster. Between Byron Cardwell, Sean Dollars, and Noah Whittington, Oregon is absolutely talented at the position, but if you have the opportunity to add a player like Irving, it’s hard to pass up.

So ultimately, who is Irving, and what can he add to Oregon’s backfield? Let’s take a look at his time with Minnesota, and learn a bit more about the Ducks’ newest running back.

Recruiting Profile

Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports

Size: 5-foot-10, 175 pounds

Hometown: Country Club Hills, Illinois

Class: 2021

Rating: 4-star (0.8932)

Ranking: No. 9 RB // No. 199 overall

Highlights

Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

2021 Stats

Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Rushing: 133 attempts, 699 yards, 4 TD

Receiving: 8 catches, 73 yards

Kick Return: 8 returns, 194 yards (24.3 average)

Notes from Golden Gophers

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Named Big-Ten Freshman of the Week in 2021
Led team with 966 all-purpose yards in freshman season
Ended high school career with 3,264 rushing yards and 587 receiving yards
Named All State and Conference Player of the Year in 2019
Ranked as No. 9 RB in 2021 class according to 247Sports

What Irving Brings to Oregon

(AP Photo/AJ Mast)

After reviewing his tape, it’s clear that the Ducks got an incredibly talented back…

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