Oregon Defensive Back Trikweze Bridges Thriving in Transition to Corner
Some view the Oregon secondary as somewhat of a question mark heading into the 2021 season.
The team lost starting cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, an Associated Press All-Pac-12 selection from a year ago, but multiple underclassmen are prepared to step into larger roles after having time to get acclimate to the college level both from an x's and o's standpoint, as well as also getting chiseled by Aaron Feld and his staff in the weight room.
Enter redshirt freshman Trikweze Bridges, a 6-foot-3 defensive back that has moved to cornerback since signing with the Ducks as a safety in the class of 2019.
"Safety was very easy for me," Bridges told reporters Tuesday. "Going to corner I had to learn to play lot of techniques for my big body. It was a big transformation for me."
Despite playing a new position, his raw talent and ball-hawking skills are reasonable cause for excitement.
After having a full spring to learn under the instruction of Cornerbacks Coach Rod Chance and other talented defensive backs, he feels in the swing of things during fall camp.
"Now corner is like an easy thing for me. I just learned the plays and dialed into all that stuff, it's just easier now."
Despite being a bit of an unknown at his new spot in the eyes of fans, he oozes playmaking ability after setting Alabama state records in both career interceptions (36) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (13). What's more, during his time as a prep he snagged 10 interceptions and racked up 104 tackles en route to winning an Alabama 2A State Title as a junior.
During his move to a new spot in the secondary, he's realized he'll have to take a new approach to the game, which includes relying on more than raw athleticism to make plays.
"In high school I was playing more off of talent," Bridges said. "So now it's just more off of technique. It's a big transformation."
He's been running more with the first and second-string defense and is starting to feel comfortable in the simplified defense. Defensive Coordinator Tim DeRuyter is pleased with what he's seen so far, especially since Bridges gives the team the ability to match up with the taller, longer wideouts the Ducks face.
"I thought he did a really nice job in the spring time. I thought his confidence and his ability to close really improved," DeRuyter said of Bridges' evolution earlier in fall camp. "We're only two days in, but I like where he's at mentally and I expect him to keep making strides."
Fortunate for the Ducks, the high caliber talent Bryan McClendon has recruited at wide receiver is only serving to accelerate his development.
"You look at the four and five-star guys you've gotta compete against every day, he's either gonna push and get better, or drown," DeRuyter said. "He's that kid that gets thrown into the deep end every day and I love it because it's pushing him to be a better player."
The move to cornerback doesn't come as a surprise to Bridges, a player that had limited experience matching up in one-on-one's on the camp circuit as a recruit. In fact, it was part of the staff's pitch to bring his talents across the country and may end up giving him a better shot at making it to the NFL.
"When I was getting recruited I was told that if I come here that they'll try me at corner," he said. "With the range that I have, it'll put me in the position to go in the league."
Moving forward he'll work on getting his body accustomed to the demands of the position, but he has athleticism and a 7-foot-2 wingspan to flatten the learning curve.
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