Oregon running back Thomas Tyner out for season

The injury bug has struck early in Oregon, as junior running back Thomas Tyner is set to miss the 2015 season after undergoing shoulder surgery on Friday, per CSN Northwest.

The former five-star recruit originally injured his shoulder returning a kickoff last season against Washington. Tyner rushed for five touchdowns on 573 yards last season out of the backfield.

With Tyner now down for the season, more pressure is placed on Royce Freeman to repeat his freshman numbers (1,365 yards, 18 touchdowns). With Marcus Mariota now a Tennessee Titan, most have Freeman pegged as the centerpiece of Oregon's offense, but he won't be able to do it alone.

Other options include senior Byron Marshall making a return to the backfield. The running back turned wide receiver caught 1,003 yards and six touchdowns last season, but rushed for 1,038 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2013.

The start to the season isn't too far away, so it will be interesting to see how the Ducks plan to cope with the loss.