Under the new regime, one can only hope that the logistical challenges of recruiting are met head on with an efficient and effective strategy. What follows is a look into the logistics involved with my “ideal recruiting blueprint.” It’s easy to forget that recruiting takes time and that the best recruiters are tireless workers. Scheduling a time to talk, organizing …
‘Spicy’ Championship For Auburn in 2011
In the dog days of the off-season, where recruiting and spring ball have passed, it can hard to find content to write about. Sometimes it’s necessary to fish for stories (no pun intended); however, today is not one of those days. You have the classy folks at Auburn to thank for that. Sitting in our living room today, I stumbled …
Meet Your New Ducks: 4-Star from Texas…Enough Said
There’s always tons of hype surrounding football recruits out of Texas. It’s the mecca of high school football and has consistently produced an elite level of talent. As Oregon has emerged as a national title contender year in and year out, they’re finding themselves on the hot-lists of these kinds of highly touted recruits. Some of these players have turned …
Recruiting Update: Spring Game Weekend Leaves Recruits Awestruck
Football Recruiting Visits While the Class of 2012 made their mark on the field, members of the 2014 recruiting pool looked on with amazement at the latest edition of the military-themed Oregon spring game. Tabbed athlete Devante Downs (4-Star/Lynnwood, WA/Rivals250), quarterback Morgan Mahalak (3-Star/Kentfield, CA), linebacker Zach Brown (3-Star/San Deigo, CA), and lineman Sam Jones (3-Star/Highlands Ranch, CO) all visited and …
Spring Game Coaching Surprises
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 …
Tribute to Outstanding Former Duck/Native Oregonian Linebacker
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 …
What Spring Football Reminded Us About the Relevance of Recruiting Rankings
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 …
“Oregon Doesn’t Put Players Into the League”
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 …
Ahh…Spring (Game) Is In The Air!
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 …
2012 Recruiting Class and JUCO LB On the Rise
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 …
Rodrigues or Lockie: Both look to back up The Man
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 …
Measuring Up: Ducks vs. the SEC and other BCS powers
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, …