Mario Cristobal and Staff Evaluating Redshirt Decisions With Big Matchups Looming

With the Ducks battling injuries all season, the decision to redshirt players will be a tough one for the coaching staff.

Author:
John Rustik
Publish date:
Nov 11, 2021 12:49 PM EST

With the Ducks heading into their tenth game of the season, the decision to redshirt various players is going to become tougher and tougher as injuries pile up. With as many injuries as the Ducks have had, the freshman class has had to step up and play when they otherwise might not have seen the field early in their college careers.

A couple of those players that have had to step up for the Ducks include running back Byron Cardwell, linebacker Keith Brown and safety turned linebacker Jeffrey Bassa.

The decision is a tough decision for coaches to make and Cristobal has spent plenty of time and effort on the matter. On Wednesday, Oregon’s head coach updated the media about the players on the cusp of earning more playing time and potentially losing their redshirt year.

“You never know when you can be injured,” Cristobal said. “I’ve always been a big fan of ‘when you can play, play’. You just don’t know what the next day is gonna bring. Our guys have been excellent in terms of being unselfish in playing and understanding roles, and there’s not a single role on this team that is not important.”

Three players Cristobal mentioned that are nearing the next step were defensive backs Aavante Dickerson, Jaylin Davies and Darren Barkins.

Dickerson has played in four games so far this season including Stony Brook, Arizona, California, and Colorado, meaning he is right on the cusp of losing his redshirt year. With the secondary being as dinged up as it is, it wouldn’t be crazy to see him lose that redshirt year. However, the defensive back injuries mainly lie in the safeties group. Barkins has played in three games and Davies has been featured in one game.

“Those are really good football players,” Cristobal said. “They’ve been in the rotation, we don’t really skip a beat when they’re in there. So that’s been really impressive.”

Other players that Cristobal specifically mentioned when reflecting on the players that had grown and developed since the beginning of the year were Marcus Harper II, Maceal Afaese and Faaope Laloulu.

“Maceal Afaese is ready to go,” Cristobal said. “He looked really impressive. Great burst, great first step. Guys like Faaope have been just right there on the cusp. Marcus Harper has been great… We’re pretty pleased with the way that’s going.”

While Afaese and Harper are still potentially going to continue their redshirt seasons, Laloulu has already played in enough games where he has lost the ability to redshirt this season. Harper has played in three games and Afaese has yet to play for the Ducks after being dinged up earlier this season.

Because of the fact that Oregon has struggled greatly with injuries so far this season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some of the players mentioned by Cristobal have to play and sacrifice their redshirt year for the sake of the team.

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