Coaching surprises in the Spring Game? Besides the obvious of Mark Helfrich in charge, and more passes than usual – what is new that was unexpected? This unforeseen development is one I anticipated observing in the fall during our games, and did not expect to see it so soon. While it does not come directly from head coach Helfrich, we can …
Oregon has seen many renowned linebackers. Particularly in the past 20 years, many greats behind the D-line have led the team in tackles and stood out among defenders; anywhere from the “Gang Green era” to the Harrington era, all the way to the more recent Kelly era. One particular native Oregonian linebacker spent four years at Oregon before finishing his …
This week, we take a break from the Oregon Recruiting Manifesto to take a look at some of the emerging talent on the Duck roster. It didn’t take Jake Rodrigues long to lock down the back-up QB job. Halfway through Saturday’s 2013 Spring Game, it became clear that it’s Rodrigues who the coaches will turn to in the event …
We’ve all heard the story from recruits: “Come to (Insert School Here), our system puts players into the NFL. Oregon may make you a good college player, but Oregon can’t put lineman into the NFL. With defensive end Dion Jordan (3rd overall pick by Miami) and offensive lineman Kyle Long (20th overall pick by Chicago) coming off the board in the first …
Featured Photo Courtesy Gary Breedlove Photography The weather forecast earlier last week called for partly cloudy skies on Saturday, with a chance of some showers. That gloomy prognostication never materialized, and yesterday’s spring game by the Oregon Ducks was held under clear and warm conditions — as perfect an April morning as you could hope for. Once again, two …
In a Spring Game that saw just about every healthy player on Oregon’s roster, redshirt freshmen defensive back Oshay Dunmore, quarterback Jake Rodrigues, and newly added junior linebacker Joe Walker established themselves in an otherwise “name’s game” matchup. At the prep level, both Dunmore and Rodrigues lined up as signal callers for their respective offenses heading into the 2012 edition …
On Saturday, Oregon fans got their first glimpse of the two men vying for Oregon’s backup quarterback spot in Jeff Lockie and Jake Rodrigues. While both men impressed statistically, one thing became even clearer during the game: The incumbent, Marcus Mariota, is getting even better than last season. Despite playing against the second-unit defense, it’s hard not to salivate at …
As the 2013 off-season grinds along, it’s high-time to take a look at how the Ducks spring roster stacks up against 24 other programs in the country. After all, the 2012 Fiesta Bowl champion Oregon Ducks were among the very largest in the country a season ago, but has that changed? For reference, this list is assembled using roster data from ESPN.com, …
“Johnny Football” may have received the most media hype among an emerging class of elite freshman quarterbacks in 2012 (deservedly so), but Marcus Mariota is arguably the most complete of the batch. The Flyin’ Hawaiian gave the Ducks a seamless transition from Darron Thomas, who had departed early for the 2012 NFL draft. Only the third quarterback in Oregon football …
How deep do your memories of Oregon football go? Would you remember anyone from the 1983 season? What about the 1983 Spring Game? If we looked back, who would we recognize? Let’s play Where’s Waldo? with this photo and see if you can guess who the participants are: Likely, you recognize the subject of the red arrow. That’s Rich Brooks. …
It makes sense in our offseason to look again at the play that the entire Oregon offense is centered around, and the video that has been seen by so many coaches and fans worldwide over the last year and a half. Has it been awhile? Watch again and remember the fine points that make the Inside Zone Read so important to Oregon, …
This multi-week series will attempt to take a reasonable, logical and unbiased look at Oregon’s recent recruiting successes and failures while analyzing the program’s recruiting philosophy under Chip Kelly. The series will then look at how that philosophy already has and may continue to evolve under Mark Helfrich before ending with a detailed breakdown of the author’s ideal recruiting blueprint. …