Five Questions Ahead of Oregon Spring Football
Duck fans are in store for a small break from what's been a long football offseason, as Oregon is set to begin spring practice on Thursday.
The program held its annual Pro Day in Eugene on Tuesday, and players like Bo Nix and Troy Franklin flashed in front of NFL Scouts.
Spring practice always brings interesting talking points, so today I'm asking five questions before the players and coaches return to the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex practice fields.
1. How does Dante Moore look?
I know a lot of fans are going to be excited about the addition of former Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel, and I can understand why. But I'm almost more intrigued by Moore, who joins the Ducks after a rough freshman season at UCLA.
The former five-star recruit and one-time Oregon commit is an incredibly gifted passer with loads of arm talent. His presence will not only push Gabriel, but the rest of the quarterbacks as well. Moore's development is crucial to Oregon's success next season because you're only ever one snap away from needing to call on your backup.
2. Which true freshmen can stand out?
It feels like only yesterday that I was writing about Dan Lanning and the Ducks signing the best recruiting class in program history. Well, it's been about three months now and a majority of that 2024 recruiting class is now enrolled at Oregon and going through team activities.
The Ducks have no shortage of talented players returning from a season ago, but it'll be interesting to see how some of the young guys stack up against veterans. I'm sure there's going to be some traditional growing pains---that's to be expected.
But I'll bet there's going to be a handful of players that turn some heads because they already look comfortable and will make a case for snaps this season.
3. What does the defensive line rotation look like?
Oregon's defensive line was the strength of the defense last year. Brandon Dorlus, Casey Rogers, Popo Aumavae, Taki Taimani and Mase Funa are all gone. That means Tony Tuioti and Tosh Lupoi are tasked with finding a new combo along the front line that can both stop the run and get after the quarterback.
Additions like Jamaree Caldwell, Elijah Rushing, Aydin Breland and Jericho Johnson already have fans talking, but the cupboard is far from bare. Ben Roberts, A'Mauri Washington and My'Keil Gardner are just a few names to watch along the interior of the defensive. Fortunately for the Ducks, the trio of Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti and Blake Purchase all had great seasons as true freshmen, which should help them navigate filling out the rotation at outside linebacker/defensive end.
4. Is Jordan James the new lead back?
Like all of you, I'm excited to see another year of Noah Whittington in Eugene. No one knows what kind of season he would've had last year had not gotten injured. He should be back at full health by the time the season rolls around, but in the mean time I wonder if Jordan James is able to solidify himself at the top of the depth chart.
I'm not sure where Whittington is at in his recovery, but even if he were at 100% I still think James could be hard to fend off. I expect there will be a rotation with all three backs, including Jay Harris, but James continues to look incredibly impressive.
5. Who steps up in the secondary?
Oregon had some great players in the secondary last year. But the bottom line is they weren't able to defend the pass at the level they needed to. Which is why it's a good thing that the coaches went into the transfer portal to add four defensive backs in Jabbar Muhammad, Kameryn Alexander, Kobe Savage and Brandon Johnson.
Their additions will produce strong competition and ideally yield a secondary that's better in coverage. But they didn't just add talent from the portal. Players like Sione Laulea, Dakoda Fields and Aaron Flowers could all find themselves in the two-deep if they have good springs. I've already heard good things about Fields, who fits the mold of what the team wants at cornerback to a tee.
Bonus: How about the kicking game?
The Ducks move on from the program's all-time leading scorer in Camden Lewis by adding Oregon State transfer Atticus Sappington. He was accurate and efficient all year for the Beavers and will compete with Grant Meadors and in-state product Gage Hurych.
I think most people, myself included, expect Sappington to be Lewis' replacement, but maybe some of the younger guys prove to be equally as impressive.
