ESPN writers Craig Haubert and Billy Tucker released a list of the best incoming freshman with 39 individual skills they selected. Three Oregon Ducks were selected for the list: wide receivers Ashton Cozart and Jurrion Dickey and linebacker Blake Purchase. Below are the ESPN article’s quotes about each player.
Jurrion Dickey – Skill: Best Contested Catch Ability
Dickey, 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, looks like a TE or H-back and has a similar skill set when boxing out smaller DBs on a jump ball and high pointing. Not surprisingly, he’s a basketball player with a near 40-inch vertical and polished ball skills. With his size and potential red zone value, Dickey may have a better shot at carving out a role than Cozart.
As Dickey has climbed the WR rankings in his class, he has really showcased his contested catch ability, especially on back-shoulder throws and high passes. As the ESPN article mentions, his large frame is one of the reasons he is able to compete for nearly every pass, able to both extend for each catch and muscle his defender off the ball. One thing to note about Dickey is in 2023, he will be wearing No. 99 for the Ducks, which has caused some to speculate he will redshirt this season.
Blake Purchase – Best Second-Level Blitzer
You’re not seeing Russaw here as we’re not going to repeat names. While this selection might be a bit of a surprise, it’s hard to argue with the production. Having recorded 30 sacks over his final two high school seasons, Purchase has shown excellent ability to get after the QB. Not a pure speed rusher, he’s a big body with good initial burst but also impressive power, balance and agility. At nearly 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, he may end up putting his hand down, but regardless of utilization, he can generate pressure and fill a need for the Ducks.
On the best high school team in Colorado in 2022, Blake Purchase was far and away the best player. He has the textbook frame of a hard-hitting outside linebacker but still has the speed necessary to be an elite rusher, perhaps more speed than Haubert and Tucker give him credit for. What this means is Purchase has all the skills to be an elite blitzer for Oregon, and hopefully he can turn his raw talent into results early and often for the Ducks’ defense.
Ashton Cozart – Best Deep Threat
At 6-foot-3 with a laser verified 4.45-second 40-yard dash and 10.7 in the 100 meters, Cozart has the size and speed combination to take the top off a defense. He doesn’t always look ultra-fast given his stride, but he will quickly get behind coverage, and his wide catch radius adds to his range as a pass-catcher. Oregon has a strong receiving room, and his impact may be limited this fall despite the rare size and speed combo.
Tez Johnson wasn’t the only speedy WR that the Ducks picked up this offseason, as freshman Cozart might even be faster. While Johnson’s abilities were on display in Oregon’s spring game, Cozart’s speed is no-joke (see the 40-yard dash time Haubert and Tucker highlighted above). Hopefully, he and Dickey will be able to crack into the lineup —perhaps in sets with an empty backfield and an extra WR —and make an impact this season. If Cozart is able to, Haubert and Tucker are likely correct in their assumption that it will come from the long ball, catching Bo Nix’s touchdowns.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]