New Additions Shine in Oregon's Spring Game
The Oregon Football spring game was a great opportunity for us to get a look at the promising players the Ducks have added since the end of last season.
Whether it's from the high school ranks or the transfer portal, there were a number of players that were hard to miss on Saturday and should see the field in 2023. Here are a few players that stood out most to me that weren't with the Ducks last season.
CB Cole Martin
Martin was one of my favorite players to watch on Saturday. He finished the day with three solo tackles and a pass breakup to go along with a speedy 29-yard punt return.
He wast listed on recruiting services at 5'10", 175 pounds but is probably closer to 5'9". Don't let his smaller frame fool you, because he plays like he's shot out of a cannon. The son of Demetrice Martin is twitchy, explosive and very physical. I don't want to make too much of a spring game, but with the lack of production behind Christian Gonzalez last season, Martin could emerge as a serious contender for snaps this year.
OLB Matayo Uiagaelei
Uiagalelei sent shockwaves throughout the country, particularly the West Coast when he chose Oregon over hometown USC.
He flashed in the spring game on Saturday, particularly in a couple of reps against sophomore offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr.--even strong arming him back a few yards off the line of scrimmage. That wasn't just some scout team player he was holding his own with, it was a former No. 1-ranked offensive tackle in the country.
Uiagalelei finished with two solo tackles and one tackle for loss. Even though he took a couple of reps at tight end I'm really excited to see where he stacks up on the depth chart come week one since there isn't a lot of clarity behind Jordan Burch and Mase Funa.
RB Dante Dowdell
The true freshman from Mississippi may have only recorded seven carries for 32 yards, but he actually led either team in rushing yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Dowdell should still be a senior in high school but he looks nothing like a true freshman from a physical standpoint. I'm listing him here because I liked the physicality that he ran with and how he dragged defenders for extra yards on a couple carries.
He hit the whole with confidence and should be a problem between the tackles at 6'2", 215 pounds. Jordan James is the No. 3 back right now, but I wouldn't be surprised if Dowdell pushed him for snaps at some point this season.
WR Tez Johnson
The Troy transfer stole the show on Saturday, taking a short pass from Ty Thompson 63 yards for a touchdown. He only caught three passes for 78 total yards but he found the end zone on the highlight of the day.
It's pretty evident that he has a different gear than the other receivers and Will Stein should do all he can to get him in space this year on screens, pop passes or play action over the middle. Sure we only got to see three catches, but as far as I'm concerned Johnson is living up to the offseason hype so far.
WR Traeshon Holden
Holden was the first wide receiver the Ducks added out of the portal and it didn't take long to see why he was a highly-coveted wide receiver coming out of high school before he went to Alabama.
He's got a bruiser element to his game at 6'3" and north of 200 pounds. The physical nature he plays with is obvious and he was productive--turning six catches into 47 yards on six catches with a long of 17 yards.
Make no mistake about it though, he's also got some wiggle to his game which makes this wide receiver room even more intriguing. Troy Franklin should still be the unquestioned No. 1 option in the room, but adding Holden and Johnson along with Kris Hutson should make the group scary.
And that's without even mentioning Kyler Kasper, Jurrion Dickey or Justius Lowe.
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