Category: JwPlayerVideo

4-star WR Kyle Kasper, a big Oregon target, sets date and time to announce commitment

The Oregon Ducks have been recruiting Kyler Kasper heavily. He will announce his decision on Sunday.

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By the time you go to bed on Sunday night, you will know whether or not the Oregon Ducks were able to add a big-time wide receiver prospect to their 2023 recruiting class or not.

4-star wide receiver Kyler Kasper announced on Saturday that he will be making his commitment on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Pacific time.

Kasper, who is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 20 WR in the 2023 class, and No. 125 player overall, has visited Eugene multiple times, and currently holds a Crystal Ball projection from 247Sports to land with the Ducks.

At 6-foot-5, 195 pounds, the Gilbert, AZ product would certainly be a field stretcher for Oregon down the road, should he come to Eugene.

Kasper recently listed Oregon inside his top schools, along with Ohio State, Iowa, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Georgia, USC, Arizona State, UCLA, and Miami.

Kyler Kasper’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 4 0.9447 AZ WR
Rivals 4 5.9 AZ WR
ESPN 4 81 AZ WR
On3 Recruiting 4 92.05 AZ WR
247 Composite 4 92 AZ WR

Vitals

Hometown Gilbert, Arizona
Projected Position Wide Receiver
Height 6-foot-5
Weight 195 pounds
Class 2023

Recruitment

  • Offered on July 21, 2021

Top 10

  • Oregon Ducks
  • Tennessee Volunteers
  • USC Trojans
  • Ohio State Buckeyes
  • Iowa Hawkeyes
  • Miami Hurricanes
  • Georgia Bulldogs
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  • UCLA Bruins
  • Arizona State Sun Devils

Crystal Ball

Film

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After breakout performance in Alamo Bowl, Dont’e Thornton looks to step into Ducks’ WR1 role

Dont’e Thornton says he struggled with his confidence in an uneventful 2021 season. His breakout Alamo Bowl performance got him back on track.

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Following the 2021 Oregon football season, the Ducks are being asked to replace 85 receptions, 1,262 yards, and 7 touchdowns from the wide receiver room.

With the loss of Devon Williams, Johnny Johnson, Jaylon Redd, and Mycah Pittman, Oregon is now left with a relatively young WR depth chart that consists of multiple underclassmen, and only one player — UCLA transfer Chase Cota — with more than two seasons of collegiate experience.

During spring practice thus far, we’ve been looking for which players are going to take a step up and potentially lead the room, both with their voice and with increased production on the field. While you can’t determine all of that just from watching practice, it seems like sophomore WR Dont’e Thorton is a promising candidate.

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After a relatively uneventful freshman campaign, Thorton broke out in the Alamo Bowl against Oklahoma, hauling in four catches for 90 yards and a touchdown. Prior to that, Thornton had played in just three games for the Ducks, where he had just 5 catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. It was a promising end to the season that gave fans a glimpse of what might be to come for the young pass-catcher.

“I feel like I’ve still got a lot of room to improve,” Thornton said on Thursday. “I’m still improving every day, but the bowl game let me know that I really can do this. Like, I really can play football at a high level, so that was really like my confidence booster there.”

As a former 4-star recruit who came to Oregon as the third-best WR to ever commit to the Ducks, the start of his career was understandably underwhelming for Thorton. There was a stacked WR room ahead of him, and while the Ducks weren’t finding much success in the passing game under Anthony Brown, a clear path to success on the field wasn’t always obvious.

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Thornton says that caused him to struggle with his confidence at times, but hard work was the driving force in him ultimately breaking out.

“I definitely questioned it last season because we of course had a lot of older guys, so I didn’t play as much,” Thornton said. “So like, ‘dang, what can I do to keep working and get on the field?’ So like, not get discouraged, just stay on top of everything. And the thing that I changed the most from this offseason to last offseason was that I got in the playbook a lot. Like every day I’m at the facility talking to the coaches, going over the plays the day before practice and everything so I’ve been putting more effort into off the field stuff that’s going to help me on the field.”

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So far, the returns from that hard work are positive. A couple of weeks ago, QB Ty Thompson waxed poetic about Thornton’s improvement this offseason and how his new leadership role has helped the young WR room take a step forward.

As we get closer to the Oregon spring game on April 23, Thornton and the rest of the WRs will have a chance to show the Ducks’ fanbase how much they’ve improved over the offseason. If what we saw in the Alamo Bowl was any indication, the ceiling for Thorton is high.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Keneth Gainwell is planning to ‘go off’ in year-2 with the Eagles

Dual-threat RB Keneth Gainwell has huge expectations for year two with the Philadelphia Eagles

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The Eagles have several needs heading into the NFL draft, but running back is not a position of need thanks to Miles Sanders, Boston Scott, and second-year stud, Kenneth Gainwell.

A star at the University of Memphis, Gainwell likely would have been selected way earlier than the fifth round, where he was selected by Philadelphia to bring his deal-threat abilities to Shane Steichen’s offense.

Gainwell was solid as a rookie, and he’s looking for a more expanded role in 2022 behind Miles Sanders, who’s in the final year of his rookie deal.

While working out in Florida, Gainwell sat down with Josh Tolentino of The Inquirer to discuss his offseason training program and his expectations for year two in Philadelphia.

“I’m trying to go into Year 2 and go crazy,” Gainwell said during The Inquirer’s recent visit with him. “Year 1 was good for me. But I feel like Coach Sirianni, he knows what he got out of me. I’m coming back and I’m going to go off.”

A fifth-round selection in 2021, Gainwell was without a doubt the Eagles’ best value pick after finishing his rookie season with 544 yards from scrimmage and 6 touchdowns. Per Reuben Frank, Gainwell is one of just two Philadelphia rookies drafted in the fifth round or later with 500+ scrimmage yards and 6+ touchdowns; the other was Calvin Williams in 1990.

According to PFF, 28% of Gainwell’s runs went for first downs or touchdowns, and if the Eagles are to take the next step as an offense in 2022, Sirianni will need to utilize him even more.

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Dont’e Thornton steps into leadership role in widereceiver room

Despite just four college games and nine receptions to his name, Dont’e Thornton is stepping up as a major leader of the Oregon Ducks WR room.

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There is not a defined number of games a player must play at the collegiate level before they can be considered a leader in their respective position group.

However, if there were a number, it would almost certainly be higher than four.

In the case of the Oregon Ducks wide receiver room, which lost so many talented players over the offseason, the leadership role is landing on the shoulders of sophomore Dont’e Thornton – who has just four college games under his belt.

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“No one really asked me, but I know that with all of the older guys in that room gone, somebody had to step up,” Thornton commented after spring practice on Thursday. “So I would try my best to help everybody, even though I’m not the oldest one in the room, but we need somebody to take that step up and I felt like I’m gonna take that step and do that and help everybody else.”

Even though Thornton only has nine receptions to his name, along with a pair of touchdowns, he felt the responsibility to step up and lead this talented but largely inexperienced group of receivers into the 2022 season.

Thornton admits it is more of a collaborative effort amongst the wide receivers, as they are all in this together while they adjust to a new offense under head coach Dan Lanning and Offensive Coordinator Kenny Dillingham.

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“It’s not trying to control anybody,” Thornton continued. “Like when I tell them the right thing to do, they do it. They have questions, they ask me, and they correct me too so we all help each other.”

Thornton is expected to command a big role in Oregon’s offense this season, alongside Kris Hutson, Troy Franklin, and UCLA transfer Chase Cota.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Length and versatility of Oregon secondary expected to be major asset for Ducks

The Oregon secondary may not be littered with veterans, but they have a lot of length and versatility going into 2022.

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A lot has been written about Oregon’s linebacker group and rightfully so. That position group should be one of the best in the country with Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, Jeffrey Bassa, and Keith Brown with several other outstanding players.

They should be in opposing quarterbacks’ faces all season long. But according to co-defensive coordinator Matt Powledge, on those rare occasions where those linebackers don’t penetrate the backfield, the Ducks secondary isn’t exactly a piece of cake to get past.

Oregon has so much talent in the secondary that’s it going to be difficult to find playing time for all that deserve it. Powledge thinks he’s found a system to remedy that problem.

“We’re trying to dual-train so we can get the five best players out there and at the same time we can build depth at multiple positions,” he said. “It’s been really good this spring. I think they’ve really taken ownership of some things. I think you’ll see a lot of growth from them this upcoming season.”

Growth might be the key word there as Oregon won’t throw out defenders who are significantly smaller than the receivers they’ll be facing. Bennett Williams is 6-foot-1, Trikweze Bridges is 6-3 and Bryan Addison is 6-4. It’s unusual to have defenders that big and it will present a different component other teams will have to deal with and it won’t be fun for them.

“That’s one of the things that’s really stood out with our secondary. You have Bennett (Williams). You have Trikweze (Bridges). You have Bryan (Addison). Those guys are long and can run and are athletic,” Powledge said. “They also have a great a mental aspect that they bring to the game. Their versatility is really going to help us right now.”

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‘It will be very explosive;’ WR Dont’e Thornton has high expectations for Oregon’s new offense

With a new OC, new QB, and explosive young wide receivers, fans are being encouraged to get excited about Oregon’s new offense.

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There has been a strange dichotomy with the Oregon Ducks’ offense over the past few years. In 2021, they had arguably the best group of wide receivers that we’ve seen in several years, but a quarterback who struggled to get them the ball down field. Before that, with Justin Herbert — one of the biggest gun-slingers in Oregon history — the Ducks lacked a star-studded receiving corps to adequately fit his skill level.

On top of that, you also had a head coach whose main philosophy was to ground and pound the ball between the tackles. Regardless of the reasoning, the through-line since Chip Kelly and Mark Helfrich left has been a relatively unexciting offense that failed to stretch the field.

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From the sound of things this spring, we shouldn’t expect that to be the case going forward under this new coaching staff.

“I definitely feel like it will be very explosive,” said sophomore wide receiver Dont’e Thornton.

With new offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham, the Ducks have been using buzzwords like “explosion plays” often this spring, saying that they plan to “stretch the field vertically” and “get the ball to playmakers in space.”

All of that is music to Oregon fans ears after the relatively conservative years of Mario Cristobal.

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We know that, despite whoever wins the quarterback competition currently taking place between Bo Nix, Ty Thompson, and Jay Butterfield, there is an expectation that Oregon will have the arm talent to get the ball down the field. The question, though, is whether or not Oregon’s receivers can step up after losing so many starters to both the NFL draft and transfer portal this offseason.

“I feel like we have a lot of talent in the receiver room and we can take a lot of shots and still bring in another receiver with no drop off,” Thornton said.

The trio of Devon Williams, Johnny Johnson III, and Jaylon Redd are heading on to new ventures, and Mycah Pittman hit the transfer portal before the 2021 season ended. Going into this year, players like Thornton, Troy Franklin, and Kris Hutson are expected to step up. Oregon also brought in veteran Chase Cota from the transfer portal, moved Seven McGee to WR, and has true freshman Justius Lowe waiting in the wing.

Should all go according to planned, that will be enough to return the Ducks’ offense to its explosive roots, and give Oregon fans something to get excited about on Saturday afternoons this fall.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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Kayvon Thibodeaux jumps into top-5 in latest USA TODAY mock draft

While many recent mock drafts have dropped Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, the folks at USA TODAY still have him within the top five.

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The 2022 NFL draft is just about two weeks away, and a handful of former Oregon Ducks stars are set to begin their professional football careers.

The most notable of these players is of course pass rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick throughout most of last season.

However, some concerns about his motor have cropped up during the long gap between the end of the college football season and the actual draft, leading some pundits to drop him as far as the middle of the first round – a surprising development for a player with his size, speed, power, and overall ability.

Luke Easterling of USA TODAY’s Draft Wire is not among those pundits, however, as his latest three round mock draft has Thibodeaux going No. 3 overall to the Houston Texans, just behind Georgia’s Travon Walker and Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson.

While “Sauce” Gardner is worthy of consideration here, Lovie Smith’s defense is predicated on getting consistent pressure with the front four, and that means the Texans have to add some firepower off the edge. Thibodeaux has limitless potential, and would give Houston exactly what they need at a premium position.

Thibodeaux is the only Duck to go within the first three rounds of Easterling’s mock, leaving running back CJ Verdell and defensive backs Mykael Wright and Verone McKinley for the middle or late rounds.

Joining Thibodeaux in the first round from the Pac-12 is USC wide receiver Drake London (No. 15 to Philadelphia) Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd (No. 18, also to Philadelphia) and Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie (No. 21 to New England).

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Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

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Colorado Buffaloes transfer Keeshawn Barthelemy planning on an Oregon visit

Colorado guard Keeshawn Barthlelemy is currently looking for a new place to play and is visiting Oregon soon.

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Canadians, transfers, and Canadian transfers have worked well for Dana Altman before. It looks like he may be looking to go that route once again.

Former Colorado Buffalo guard, Keeshawn Barthelemy, a Toronto native, has told Jon Rothstein that he plans on visiting Oregon and Ohio State.

The 6-foot-2 Barthelemy, who was rated as a four-star recruit coming out of high school, had a breakout season in 2021-22 as he averaged 11 points a game and shot nearly 35 percent from the three-point line. The improvement from his freshman season to this past year was noticeable. Barthelemy played in every game as a freshman and averaged just below four points a contest.

Oregon is actively trying to find scorers to fill in for the production it loses with Jacob Young and Qunicy Guerrier graduating and Eric Williams, Jr. transferring. The Ducks will also be looking for a post player or two with Franck Kepnang and Isaac Johnson also transferring out of the program.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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‘He’s a worker;’ Dan Lanning praises effort of running back Noah Whittington

Oregon Ducks running back Noah Whittington has impressed new coach Dan Lanning with his hard work in spring practices.

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The Oregon Ducks head into 2022 with a brand new group of running backs for new head coach Dan Lanning.

Travis Dye and CJ Verdell, one of the most dynamic running back duos in school history, have each departed – Dye down south to USC and Verdell to the NFL.

Incoming sophomore Byron Cardwell is primed to step into a big role in year two after rushing for over 400 yards as a true freshman, but the depth behind him is relatively untested.

However, coach Lanning did make sure to bring in an experienced back via the transfer portal, nabbing Noah Whittington thanks to a connection with coach Carlos Locklyn, who is now Oregon’s running back coach after working with Whittington at Western Kentucky.

Lanning thus far has been impressed with what Whittington brings to this Oregon offense, specifically his style of play and coachability.

“I mean, Noah’s a worker,” Lanning commented on Tuesday. “He’s very explosive, runs really hard, plays with a different type of effort, which is one of those things don’t ever want to spend your time coaching. You get to coach the details of Noah because he runs so hard and plays so hard.”

Whittington was dynamic for the Hilltoppers last season, rushing for over 600 yards and averaging a whopping 6.1 yards per carry.

Cardwell and Sean Dollars will probably be the top two names on the running back depth chart when the fall rolls around, but Whittington’s experience and hard working mentality should help him see the field plenty during the first year of Lanning’s head coaching career.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

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Oregon Ducks RB named ‘rising star,’ projected to have a breakout season in 2022

Despite losing both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye in the backfield, the Ducks are projected to have one of the next stars at the RB position.

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Anyone who tuned into the back-half of the Oregon Ducks season in 2021 could have guessed which offensive player had the highest ceiling coming into the 2022 season.

After running back CJ Verdell went down with a season-ending injury against the Stanford Cardinal, the Ducks’ production out of the backfield didn’t skip a beat thanks to the production from true freshman RB Byron Cardwell.

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In the final seven games of the season, Cardwell rushed the ball 52 times for 375 yards and 3 touchdowns. He showed the poise and patience of an experienced back and looked the part of a dominant Oregon RB with the No. 21 on his chest.

In a piece highlighting some young players in college football who could have a breakout season this fall, 247Sports recently highlighted Cardwell as a ‘rising star’ worth keeping an eye on.

DuckTerritory’s Matt Prehm is raving about the upside of Byron Cardwell, who was Oregon’s third ball carrier in the rotation last season prior to starter CJ Verdell suffering a season-ending injury. Cardwell, a 6-foot, 210-pound freshman at the time, finished the year with 61 carries for 417 yards and three touchdowns, much of that total coming over the final month of the season when he averaged better than 7 yards per carry. He’ll likely be the featured option this season under first-year coach Dan Lanning with Verdell off to the NFL and Travis Dye now at USC. And if Cardwell picks up where he left off, look out.

After losing both CJ Verdell to the NFL draft, and Travis Dye to the USC Trojans, the Ducks will need some players to step up in the backfield to keep their offensive production rolling. Fortunately, we have Sean Dollars poised for some big things, and Byron Cardwell looking to become a household name.

Contact/Follow us @Ducks_Wire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinion.

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