All eyes were on Eugene Thursday morning as the Oregon Ducks got their spring football underway with the first practice at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. While media members watched on, and Duck fans followed along as they could via photos and reports, a group of watching eyes may have been more important than others to head coach Dan Lanning.
A group of highly-rated recruits was in attendance, watching practice from the sideline and taking in the cool morning air in Eugene. While many recruiting visits are centered around big games, whether it be the spring game or something in the regular season, Lanning remarked after practice that getting prospects in town to watch practice is among the most valuable things they can do as a staff.
“Our best pitch in recruiting is when people come and watch that practice and they see the way we work,” Lanning said. “They see how we develop talent and they see how much our guys enjoy practice. So it’s really important for us to take advantage of this beautiful place. Get people here where they can experience it firsthand and see it for themselves.”
While seeing the crowd inside Autzen Stadium is always important, and getting to experience the buzz that’s alive in Eugene during a game day on Saturdays in the fall is priceless, there’s a lot to be said about letting these players experience the practice. In the end, most will choose the school where they feel confident they will be developed the most, and have the best chance to continue their career after college and potentially into the NFL.
If they can watch Oregon’s practice and get a feel for how that development will take place, then it could make a world of difference.
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