Oregon Ducks head football coach Dan Lanning would be the first one to say his team wasn’t quite 100 percent healthy during spring practices.
They were missing quite a few key pieces, such as linebacker Justin Flowe and defensive linemen Brandon Dorlus and Popo Aumavae. It makes it difficult to evaluate the talent that the Ducks are sure to bring on the defensive side of the ball in 2022.
But according to Lanning, that shouldn’t be a problem for fall camp as he explained at Pac-12 Media Day.
“I don’t want to spend a lot of time talking about injuries,” he said. “I will say all those guys are doing really well this summer. We definitely think they’re going to be a big part of what we’re doing this season.”
The less time Lanning has to talk about injuries, the better. Oregon has one of the tougher schedules out there this season, beginning with the defending national champions in Georgia.
Having players back at 100 percent is key, but seeing Flowe recover fully from his foot injury will be extra important. Flowe, along with Noah Sewell, could be the most dynamic linebacker duo in the nation, which is why Lanning recruited him to play at Georgia.
He’s a really talented player, a specimen. I think at this point he’s played five quarters. I think Justin will tell you there’s high expectations and he hasn’t been able to execute the level he wants to yet because of injury.
Oregon is hoping on Sept. 3, Georgia will see what it missed out on with Flowe. The Bulldogs’ loss should be the Ducks’ gain.
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