What to Watch for in Oregon's Spring Football Game
Well here we are.
It feels like it just started, yet the Ducks are about to conclude spring football. Take a break from watching the NFL Draft Saturday as the Ducks return to Autzen Stadium for their 15th spring practice with the program's annual spring game.
The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
We've learned a ton about new faces, new schemes, and the strong culture within Mario Cristobal's team this offseason. There are many items that may grab your attention in Saturday's game.
Here are the five that stand out most to me.
1. How do the quarterbacks look?
This is on everyone's mind right?
But I really don't think much has changed in spring. Anthony Brown entered spring football as the player best positioned for the starting job, and I doubt Saturday will change that.
Mario Cristobal said earlier this week that Brown will take the bulk of the reps with the one's in the spring game and the rest of the reps will be divided among the rest of the quarterbacks. But that's not to say Brown will end the spring game as the starter.
That's hardly the case, as Cristobal said everyone is still alive in the competition and that he expects the quarterback picture to get clearer closer to the fall and the season-opener against Fresno State.
But how will Brown look? How will he handle pressure if Kayvon Thibodeaux is chasing him down? How comfortable does he look in his command of the offense?
Not all of these questions will be answered due to the limited offense we'll see, but this will be our best indication of how much he's grown since the Fiesta Bowl.
Beyond Brown, I'll have my eyes on the younger quarterbacks Jay Butterfield, Ty Thompson, and Robby Ashford. I don't think any of them are in a better position than Brown to start, but you always want to know what you have from a depth standpoint if anything happens during the course of the season.
I'll have my eye on how Thompson processes what Tim DeRuyter dials up as well as Butterfield's mobility and if he'll be able to push the ball down the field.
2. Physicality
Physicality is something Mario Cristobal has harped on from the moment he was named head coach. He said earlier this week that it's one of the main areas he believes the defense can grow, but that's tough to gauge since we've only seen one practice this spring.
Will we see players flying to the ball and delivering big hits? Will the offensive line explode off the ball and finish blocks?
Physicality is one of the best ways to gauge the intensity a team plays with, and if Oregon wants to to assert itself as the best the Pac-12 has to offer, that intensity and nastiness has to be there Saturday.
3. New faces emerging along a young defensive line
The departures of Austin Faoliu and Jordon Scott will no doubt be a blow for the Oregon defense. Both players were steady contributors that knew the defense well and mentored up-and-coming players along the defensive front.
Now it's time to see the high-level recruiting pay off and what those players bring to the table.
We know Brandon Dorlus is poised for a breakout year and is one of the proven players at the position, but how will the group look aside from him?
Keyon Ware-Hudson is someone we've heard a lot about throughout spring football, and he's listed just shy of 300 pounds. Is he ready to take the next step and enter the rotation?
Kristian Williams is another name square in the mix who has flashed in limited opportunities, along with Bradyn Swinson. The Ducks could really use another pass rusher to compliment Kayvon Thibodeaux, but how close are they to getting that?
I asked KT earlier this spring who he thought was in the best position to fill that need and he told me "the whole d-line."
It's time to see how far they've come.
4. Justin Flowe and Dontae Manning
Two HUGE names here that we've hardly heard about since they got to Oregon, as they've both battled injuries.
We saw Flowe in action at the Ducks' first spring scrimmage, but he was limited and didn't participate in any of the live scrimmage period. Flowe is easily one of the most talked about recruits we've ever seen in Eugene and everyone is getting antsy to see if he'll live up to the hype.
His return to full health could come at just the right time for Oregon as the Ducks lack extensive production at linebacker aside from Noah Sewell and Isaac Slade-Matautia.
As for Manning, we didn't see him at the first spring scrimmage. We don't have any specifics on him at this time, as Cristobal described multiple players as "unavailable" during the press conference following the first spring scrimmage.
Cristobal didn't specifically say both are a full go, but he did offer this.
"They've gotten back recently and they've played more and more snaps each and every day. They are exciting to watch, those two guys are explosive and difference makers."
With the departure of Deommodore Lenoir, the Ducks are looking for multiple players to step up at cornerback. Mykael Wright is a stud, and DJ James looks ready to rise to the occasion.
Will Manning, another former 5-star, assert himself into consideration as a top option at cornerback? He'll be competing against the likes of Trikweze Bridges, Bryan Addison, and early enrollee freshman Jaylin Davies.
5. Explosive plays
This was something that was constantly linked with Joe Moorhead since his arrival at Oregon. The Ducks averaged 6.8 yards per play a season ago and will need to build on that if they want to make a playoff run.
Too often last season I saw receivers catching the ball and immediately being tackled or ran out of bounds. That tells me two things.
1. The receivers aren't creating enough separation from defensive backs. 2. They need to improve at making a play after the catch. All the best teams in college football have playmakers at receiver, and I'm not so sure the Ducks have one right now.
These two areas won't drastically improve overnight, but having a quarterback that is confident enough to take risks and building dependable depth at wide receiver certainly help.
The addition of 5-star wideouts Troy Franklin and Dont'e Thornton will help Oregon's offense, but how much will returning players like Mycah Pittman, Johnny Johnson, and Devon Williams be able to create?
They need to show up in a big way if the Ducks want to take the Moorhead offense to the next level.
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