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Organized by Ducks Rising
By
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Travis Rooke-Ley
Spring Practice Intel
1
Members:
We’re grateful to be able to pass along some news and notes from the spring so far. Be advised, this is being written with only 4 practices having been completed so understand that a lot of this information is fluid and subject to change asd the spring progresses. That said, we’re all fanatics here so I did my best to compile what I’ve heard so far. For simplicity’s sake, we’re just going to run through things by position.
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QB:
Staff feels confident in both Moore and Novosad, and actually feel they can win the B10 with either QB in place. That said, while holding onto both is the goal, my $$ is on Moore to be the starter come fall. There’s no reason to announce that now though. The arm talent is unquestionable, up there with any QB in Oregon history. He offers a bit more boom or bust relative to the consistency that Nix and Gabriel brought over the last two seasons. There are days where Novosad is definitely the more consistent and steady option. I think the rest of the spring and fall camp with Stein will be huge in cleaning up some small inconsistencies in Dante’s game and have him ready for the B10. Either way, the field is definitely opened up with either at the helm, and no slight to Gabriel, but this will open up the offense a bit according to staff.
3
RB:
Hughes is really good. We had our pick of any RB in the portal, and some guys that never entered, but Hughes was always at the top of the list. Finally though, we have 3 RBs in place that will be playable in real time, a big difference from the past two seasons. We need all three healthy in December, and I bet each of the three backs lead us in touches in at least one game this year. Also, I have heard Jordan Davison has been a pleasant surprise, cut some weight and might be a downhill threat sooner rather than later.
4
WR:
It is going to be interesting how this room shakes out, but I feel comfortable saying the following: Stewart is a known commodity and Dak Moore is going to play a lot. I know both have played both inside and outside so far this spring. As for the rest of the room, I think J-Mac is going to be a good one, and see the field a lot. Justius Lowe has been singing his praises ever since we signed him. Of note, Cooper Perry’s name comes up a lot as a guy that just makes plays and gets open. I wouldn’t just blanket judge him either as just your typical white slot WR, kid has some juice. He’s going to be a player. Malik Benson’s combination of size, speed and athleticism is the reason this staff took a flyer, and he’s made some wow plays that are up there with any WR on the team. If he can block, and learn this playbook, we may get more opportunities than I expected.
5
TE:
I think this is a spot we may see some portal action on. Sadiq is obviously a big-time player, but I think some depth in the room is something we’ll look at this spring. Staff really like what guys like Zach Grace offer, but with Saleapaga’s injury, this is one position to monitor.
6
OL:
My starting OL prediction is the same as it’s been since the winter: World, Pregnon, Poncho, Iuli, Harkey. And, I continue to say it’s a realistic world that we upgrade at 4 of 5 spots in 2025. World has every tool in the world, but it’s going to take some time for him to play at a Conerly level. As for depth, we actually finally have some bodies in tow in case of injury. Between Rogers, Wilson and Bedford, there’s some experience, and the staff is optimistic about the development of Ferguson, Crader and Brooks. Pregnon and Harkey specifically have come up a lot in conversations in a positive light.
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DL:
Probably the group staff is most excited about. Names that continue to come up as players that have been making plays: Bear, Washington, Matayo, Purchase, Rushing, Breland, Gray, Green, Tuioti. Big priority is finding some speed and juice off the edge. Tuioti is a respected leader and good player, but I hope Rushing/Purchase/Breland develop to where they can play some rush packages and offer a bit more athleticism. Huge staff focus on that this spring. Other big focus is with the EDGE group on replacing Burch and his ability to stop the run and set the edge. We’ve struggled with teams running outside the tackles on us.
8
LB:
Fair to assume Jackson and Boettcher are the starters as of today. Priority is on developing the next two and identifying who that will be. Money today is on Mixon and Platt. They like what they’ve seen from Nix so far, but he needs to put on some muscle, and learn to take command at LB. Goal is to get one of Dylan Williams and Kamar Mothudi above the line by the fall as well.
9
DB:
Probably the group that has garnered the most discussion. For one, almost every player in this room is cross-training at multiple spots. For some, that’s CB and Star, and for others, that’s some CB and Safety. The goal of Hampton, Wadood and Lanning is to get more athletic and diverse across the backend. I’ve mentioned him from day one but Dillon Theinemen was the staff's top priority and they think he’s one of the best players in the country. Theran Johnson is a known-commodity, and Kingston Lopa and Ify are going to play a lot. I’m pretty sure those 4 guys will be in the rotation a lot. Beyond that, it’s youth, and flashes of greatness and inconsistency. Offord, McNutt and Finney are already some of the best athletes on the team, and catch them for the right few minutes and you’d think they are future Hall of Famers. If I had to bet one of them to not redshirt this season, it would be Offord as of today.
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Prediction of starters right now would be:
Theinemen, Lopa, Johnson, Ify and one of Florence/Fields/Laulea/Austin/Canady. Johnson gives flexibility and could player Star if Florence/Fields or Laulea earn that spot.
DR 2.0
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