As college football has evolved into the 21st century, the lines between student-athlete and professional-athlete have blurred. College football players now can profit from their name, image, and likeness; they maintain a strict weekly routine during the season; and their offseason never truly comes with non-stop training in the “off months.”
The growing importance of the spring football season in the past few decades has led to increasing numbers of incoming freshman working to graduate early and enroll at their new university in the spring semester so they can participate in spring workouts and practices. It’s a quick turnaround and the time commitment can be a lot for someone who may not even be able to vote yet.
On Wednesday, Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning joined the Oregon Football Coaches’ show to help preview the upcoming Oregon football season. The Ducks had a large contingent of their 2024 class enroll early, so Lanning spoke about how it can be challenging for players at first.
“Well, just your schedule in general,” Lanning said “It can be pretty taxing when it’s starting off with football in the morning and finishing the class in the afternoon and possibly having a meeting after night. So it becomes really important how you manage your time.”
Of Oregon’s 27 high recruits in the class of 2024, 20 were expected to enroll early. Among those 20 are Elijah Rushing, Aydin Breland, and Jeremiah McClellan.
Enrolling in the spring can be challenging, but the biggest reason it’s become more popular is the benefit it offers the players. Freshmen can take more time to learn the team’s system, build chemistry with their teammates, and develop their skills. Coaches also start to fill out the depth chart during the spring season, so it’s in the interest of incoming players to showcase their skills as soon as they can.
“Yeah, I mean, anytime you can get acclimated, get into the process, you know, start early as far as learning the substance of the playbook,” Lanning said. “And learning you know, what’s it like to be a college student all those things that it gets is really valuable time.”
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