When Oregon kicks off against UC Davis on Sept. 3 to begin the 2016 college football season, the Ducks will officially move forward from last year’s disappointing season.

Here are the players to watch in Saturday’s season opener.

OREGON
Dakota Prukop, QB: After playing in the FCS for the previous three years, he’s been handed the keys to one of the nation’s best offenses and all eyes will be on him to see how well he drives. Prukop has a multitude of offensive weapons around him, whether it be running back Royce Freeman, receivers Charles Nelson and Darren Carrington or tight end Pharaoh Brown. The key for Prukop will be protecting the ball. He has three redshirt freshmen in his starting offensive line so helping them with protection calls will be vital to his success. If Prukop can show that he’s in command of this offense, the Ducks will be flying high.

Pharaoh Brown, TE: Two years after suffering a horrific leg injury at Utah, Brown will be in the starting lineup when the offense takes the field. Back in 2014, the year of his injury, Brown was named a first-team all-Pac-12 player for his skill catching the ball — 25 catches for 420 yards and six touchdowns — and blocking at the line. Now that he’s back, and according to him better than ever, Brown’s big body will be a huge bailout for Prukop and the Ducks. If he returns to his old self at the least, there’s no reason Brown won’t be playing on Sundays.

Johnny Ragin III, LB: Ragin will be crucial to Oregon’s defense as Hoke and head coach Mark Helfrich look to him to improve upon last year’s performance. Ragin began his career at Cal where he played as a freshman but then transferred to Oregon to finish out his career. Now in his third year with the Ducks, Ragin has all the respect he needs to lead, but it’s his play that’s going to have to do the most talking. If Ragin can’t make sure the whole unit is on the same page at the same time, this defense could stiffen in a hurry.

UC DAVIS
Zack Jones, LB: Whenever a team plays against Oregon’s offense, you have to bring both size and athleticism to stop it. Jones is just that for the Aggies as he’s transitioned from safety to linebacker this year, allowing him to cover some of Oregon’s quicker slot guys while playing big enough against the likes of Brown and Freeman. Jones will be the key to the defense and he needs to fly around and make a lot of plays to give UC Davis a chance.

Brandon Weaver, DL: The other cog to the Aggies defense is Weaver, their best returning defensive lineman. He’ll be tasked with going up against three redshirt freshmen and as a junior, Weaver has the experience and the size to make the game rough for Prukop and Freeman. If Weaver can cause havoc on the inside and force the inexperienced Prukop to make decisions on the run, it could lead to big turnovers for the Aggies.

Manusamoa Luuga, RB: Luuga is central to the Aggies offense as the main running back and receiver. He’s going to have to play one of his best games ever to give the Aggies a chance. He is experienced as a senior and has played against FBS foes before so he understands that grinding out first downs rather than going for the long score every play will be more vital. If Luuga can keep the chains moving, not only will he wear down the Oregon defense, he’ll keep the potent Ducks offense on the sideline.

Follow Ryan Kostecka on Twitter @Ryan_Kostecka