Category: Pro Ducks

PFF says wide receiver will be the focus of first round picks in draft

In the latest mock draft from PFF, Troy Franklin will go in the first round to Tampa Bay at No. 26.

According to the analytical website PFF.com, the one position that NFL teams will focus on in the first round is wide receiver.

It’s one of the best classes of receiver in quite some time and while quarterbacks are at a premium, they need elite athletes to throw to to make a difference.

In the latest mock NFL draft, PFF projects a total of seven receivers will be selected and one of those ball hawks will be Oregon’s own Troy Franklin. They think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are high on the 6-foot-3, 187-pounder from East Palo Alto, Calif.

Franklin blossomed as a player in his three seasons as a Ducks and really broke out in 2022 and 2023 with quarterback Bo Nix tossing him the pigskin. In those two seasons, Franklin caught 142 passes for 2,274 yards and 23 touchdowns.

PFF gives Franklin a grade of 84.9 overall and an 87.3 grade for receiving. Overall, he was the No. 29 receiver in the country.

The Buccaneers were in the lower third of the NFL where offense is concerned so it’s no surprise they’ll look for an upgrade in the receiver department and Franklin would certainly fit the bill here.

Joel Klatt makes the case for Bo Nix to be selected early in the first round of 2024 NFL Draft

Fox Sports’ Analyst Joel Klatt projects that Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix would be a perfect fit for the Denver Broncos.

With the 2024 NFL Draft coming up in a couple of months, the next several weeks will be filled with the pre-draft process as players around the nation work to up their draft stock and convince prospective teams to take a chance on them in April.

There are a number of former Oregon Ducks who fit that bill, several of whom went through the Senior Bowl process, and have been invited to the NFL Combine later this month. The most prominent figure is quarterback Bo Nix, who is coming off of a historic season in Eugene that saw him finish as a Heisman Trophy finalist. A lot of draft analysts are conflicted on where Nix will end up getting drafted, with some projecting him as an early first-rounder, while others think he could fall into the second or even the third-round.

One analyst who has seen a lot of Nix’s games over the year, both at Oregon and Auburn, is Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt. He recently gave his opinion of where Nix should get drafted on the Joel Klatt Show, saying that the Denver Broncos make a lot of sense at No. 12.

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“The guy that I think fits best in that mold as an experienced, smart, point guard-style, accurate passer, ball in the right spot at the right moment is Bo Nix from Oregon,” Klatt said. “I like Bo Nix to Denver at 12.”

The Broncos are currently in a bit of a transition phase after moving off of Russell Wilson last year. While they have Jarrett Stidham on the roster, there is a strong belief that they will take a QB in the draft this year, or go the free agency route otherwise.

“Nix at No. 12 makes so much sense to me for Denver because of the fit of his style, what his strengths are, and what Sean Payton wants out of the quarterback.”

The QBs in this 2024 class are very talented, with guys like Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye leading things at the top. Nix is currently thought to be behind those three, grouped with passers like Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy.

There will be a lot of scouting opportunities for NFL teams over the next several weeks, with the combine and Oregon’s Pro Day soon after. We will see what the Ducks’ QB is able to do with his draft stock during that process.

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Sabrina Ionescu narrowly loses to Steph Curry in inaugural WNBA-NBA three-point contest

Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu competed in the first ever NBA vs. WNBA three point contest on Saturday night against Steph Curry.

In the first-ever competition between members of the WNBA and the NBA, former Oregon Ducks star Sabrina Ionescu was narrowly defeated by Steph Curry, the NBA’s all-time leading three-point scorer. Ionescu scored 26 and Curry scored 29 of 40 possible points.

Before Steph and Sabrina’s head-to-head showdown, eight NBA players competed in the NBA’s annual three-point contest. For the second year in a row, Damian Lillard took home the trophy, scoring 26 points in the final round. Other than Curry’s 29 points, 26 was the highest score of any shooter on Saturday night.

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The origin of this contest began after Ionescu set the all-time three-point contest record (37/40 possible points) in 2023. Minutes after her victory, she and Curry suggested a head-to-head competition between the two of them on Twitter. Then in January, the NBA announced that the competition would take place during the NBA’s All-Star weekend.

After the contest, during Ionescu and Curry’s on-court interviews, TNT’s Ernie Johnson highlighted Ionescu’s trailblazing impact on the WNBA and women in sports. This competition was the first time a member of the WNBA has competed against an NBA player in an official capacity.

“I think a night like tonight shows a lot of young girls and young boys that, if you can shoot, you can shoot,'” Ionescu said after the contest.

Sabrina Ionescu can certainly shoot, and although she couldn’t win Saturday night, she showed a lot of people that she is one of the best shooters and best basketball players in the world.

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Social media reacts to Sabrina Ionescu’s three-point shootout vs. Stephen Curry

Basketball fans reacted to the thrilling three-point shootout between Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry at NBA All-Star Weekend.

“If you can shoot, you can shoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re a boy or a girl.”

That’s a statement that Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu backed up on Saturday night at All-Star Weekend, going toe-to-toe with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, arguably the greatest shooter in the history of the sport.

Ionescu held her own in the three-point contest, ultimately losing 29-26 in the one-round event that came down to the final couple of shots.

Sabrina went first in the contest, hitting her first 8 shots and getting out to a blistering pace. She ultimately made 19 shots, and her 26 points were as many as any of the NBA players scored in the three-point contest earlier in the night, won by Damian Lillard.

Of course, Curry came in and lit it up, ultimately winning the first-ever NBA vs. WNBA three-point competition.

Judging by the reaction from fans on social media, it certainly won’t be the last.

Betting odds released for Sabrina Ionescu vs. Stephen Curry 3-point shootout

Betting odds have been released for the first-ever WNBA vs. NBA three-point shooting contest between Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry.

Two of the greatest shooters in basketball history will be going toe-to-toe on Saturday night on a big stage, with Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry taking on New York Liberty star and Oregon legend Sabrina Ionescu in the first-ever NBA-WNBA crossover three-point competition.

The event will take place at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis on Saturday night, broadcast on TNT.

It will feature a three-point contest just between Curry and Ionescu, both of whom will shoot from the NBA three-point line. As with all of the other All-Star game events, betting lines have been placed for who is going to win. Here are the latest lines from FanDuel Sportsbook:

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How to watch Sabrina Ionescu take on Stephen Curry in the All-Star 3-point Shootout Challenge

How to tune into the first-ever WNBA vs. NBA three-point shootout between Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry on Saturday night.

Oregon Ducks legend Sabrina Ionescu has been making history throughout her career, ever since she took the basketball world by storm during her time in Eugene. That hasn’t changed since she went to the WNBA with the New York Liberty.

On Saturday night, Ionescu will once again make history, participating in the first WNBA vs. NBA 3-point contest, taking on her good friend and mentor Stephen Curry, from the Golden State Warriors.

The event will take place at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis as part of the State Farm Saturday All-Star events, such as the skills competition and the dunk contest.

Here’s everything you need to know about tuning into the action:

Top 15 Oregon Ducks to use in EA Sports NCAA Football who never got a game

A look at some of the best Oregon Ducks to use in the new EA Sports College Football 25 game who never got a chance to be in the video game.

It’s been over 10 years that we’ve had to find something to do with our free time while arguably the best video game of all time has been out of commission.

However, that time is no longer. Fans have been rejoicing this week as EA Sports announced that the beloved college football game — now called College Football 25 — will be returning to shelves this summer.  That’s welcomed news, considering that the game was discontinued after the 2014 version of the game was released in July of 2013.

Though it has been gone for so long, many avid fans still play the game today, loving it for the recruiting aspect that can’t be enjoyed in EA’s Madden.

It has been rumored that EA Sports already has 120 FBS schools on board with the game and have begun working with them to get realistic stadium noises, music, and even chants. These schools will be paid out on a tiered basis depending on their top-25 finishes.

All of that said, there was an era from 2014-2023 that saw no NCAA Football games released. There is a large group of big-time players that never saw themselves in a game. Joe Burrow from LSU’s title run in 2019, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray in Norman, Okla., Christian McCaffrey at Stanford, and many more.

The Oregon Ducks also had some guys who were like real-life video game characters, including a Heisman Trophy winner in that time. Who would be the 15 most fun Ducks to play with in NCAA Football that never got a game over the past decade? Let’s discuss.

Which school is sending the most players to the 2024 NFL combine?

A look at which school is sending the highest number of players to the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis later this month.

The list of 2024 NFL combine invitations was published on Tuesday morning, so we now know the 321 collegiate players that will head to Indianapolis this month to showcase their skills and try to enhance their draft stock at the biggest job interview of their respective lives.

The Oregon Ducks are going to be well-represented. Seven players have been invited to Lucas Oil Stadium, headlined by Bo Nix, Troy Franklin and Bucky Irving.

But when you look at the invitation list as a whole, which college is the most represented based on the number of players who are expected to be in attendance?

We broke it down by school. Here’s a look:

NFL MVP Odds: Could 2024 be Justin Herbert’s year?

Could 2024 be Justin Herbert’s year to win the NFL’s most valuable player award?

The NFL season is over, which means fans will be without football for the next 6 months. The NFL Draft in April will provide a small reprieve, but until August, football is gone. But, that doesn’t mean it’s too early for sports bettors to place wagers in anticipation of the next football season. On Monday, FanDuel released their initial betting odds for the NFL’s 2024 most valuable player.

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For Oregon fans, the ideal scenario is Justin Herbert winning next year’s MVP and advancing to the Super Bowl. Herbert’s first few seasons in Los Angeles haven’t been the prettiest, but the hire of Jim Harbaugh could be what the Chargers need to start making the most out of Herbert’s talent.

Below are the top 15 2024 MVP candidates, including Justin Herbert, ranked by their betting odds.

Betting odds released for which NFL team will draft Oregon QB Bo Nix

FanDuel Sportsbook has released betting odds for which NFL team is going to select Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The coaching carousel in the world of college football seems to finally be coming to a close, and the transfer portal has cooled at long last. With about a month until spring football gets underway in Eugene, we have an opportunity to focus on the upcoming NFL draft, and where the many soon-to-be pro Oregon Ducks might end up.

While a large number of former Ducks will likely be playing on Sundays next season, one of the most intriguing is quarterback Bo Nix.

Nix seems to be a polarizing figure in the world of draft analysis. Some think he could be a first-round pick who comes off the board as soon as the early teens. Others believe he has a middle-to-late second-round grade.

This past week, FanDuel Sportsbook placed betting odds on which team would draft Nix in April. Here’s where they think he is most likely to go, along with some of our analysis on the potential suitor for Oregon’s QB.

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