In an interview for FishDuck.com on Wednesday, I spoke with Oregon’s offensive coordinator Scott Frost at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex in Eugene.
The famed spring game that takes place every year is about two weeks away, and the last three weeks of practice have been full of excitement and hard work. However, according to Frost, every player is eager to finish spring camp on a strong note. May 2nd will be an exciting day for fans and players, but the Ducks’ offensive coordinator wants to make sure that his guys focus on the big picture. There is still a lot of work to be done.
“We’re getting towards the end of spring and sometimes guys can lose their enthusiasm a little bit,” Frost said after practice on Wednesday. “But I thought we had good pace and tempo out there so I was pleased.”
Marcus Mariota, who was Oregon’s first Heisman winner, is expected to be a top-two pick in the NFL Draft.
Several Oregon players have been fortunate enough to reach the professional ranks over the last few years, and in Todd McShay’s most recent NFL mock draft, he believes that Marcus Mariota, who was the 2014 Heisman winner, will be selected by the Tennessee Titans with the second overall pick. Other mock drafts have predicted that Arik Armstead and Hroniss Grasu will be taken in the first round, as well. Frost mentioned that he feels ecstatic and he also can’t wait to see where his former players will end up.
“The draft is always exciting. It only comes around once for you; it’s a moment all of those guys will remember,” Frost said. “It’s nerve-racking because you’re sitting waiting for your name to get called and you also don’t know if you’re going to end up in Buffalo, Miami or Seattle.”
There’s no question that every Oregon fan is eager to find out where the Ducks’ former players will land in the NFL, and while Frost is just as excited as any other fan, the offensive coordinator is staying focused on his team and the different faces that he will have to integrate into his offense next season.
“Our identity isn’t going to change much year to year. We’re going to be who we are,” Frost said. “I think we have made some good strides and some good progress. We still have a long way to go and a lot of work ahead of us before game one, but I’m pleased with some of the stuff that I’m seeing out there.”
Frost also chimed in on his wide receivers and mentioned that this is one of the deepest groups that he’s ever worked with. He believes that he has multiple playmakers on the outside and with the expected return of Bralon Addison, the receiving core is expected to have a huge influence this fall.
“When we get everybody up and going I think we’ll have really good depth at the receiver spot,” Frost said. “We haven’t had everybody out there for spring with Devon Allen on the sidelines and a couple other guys we expect to be coming in. But the guys that are out there are doing a great job.”
Top Photo by David Pyles
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My name is Omar Garibay and I am a journalism student at the University of Oregon. I was born and raised in Salem, Oregon and I have dreamed of living in Los Angeles since I was 14-years-old. My dream career would be to work for ESPN LA, The Los Angeles Times or as a beat writer for the Los Angeles Lakers or Dodgers. Twitter: @omargaribay8