Tag: ESPN.com

ESPN says Oregon is ready for the physicality of the Big Ten Conference

In ESPN’s overreactions after spring games across the country, they say Oregon is ready for its new physical conference.

The first thing Dan Lanning wanted to do when he came to Oregon and analyzed the roster was to get the Ducks more physical across the board, especially up front.

Whether he had a premonition of the Ducks going into the Big Ten alongside Michigan and Ohio State or he just wanted his team tougher, that particular part of the job is as finished as possible.

So possible that according to ESPN, the Ducks are more than ready to match up on a physicality standpoint with the defending national champion Wolverines and the Buckeyes and a whole host of other Big Ten foes.

Following the spring college football season, ESPN analyzed the biggest strengths and takeaways for the top teams in the nation. In part, this was their analysis:

The Ducks are going to be one of the most physical teams in the new Big Ten.

There’s plenty of skepticism about how the former Pac-12 teams like USC, UCLA, Washington and Oregon are going to fare in their first season playing physical, defensive-minded Big Ten football. USC, for example, has made it a point to try and beef up its lines on both sides of the ball and though that remains a work in progress, there’s little doubt that the Ducks already have that pedigree going into this season. Their spring game was a manifestation of that.

While other teams took on a “thud” approach where they weren’t fully tackling each other, Dan Lanning’s team went all out with full tackling during its game (except for the quarterbacks) and showed off their athleticism. Come Big Ten play, Oregon should be more than equipped to take on its opponents. — Paolo Uggetti

Washington, UCLA, and USC will also be joining the Ducks in the big move to the Big Ten. It’s assumed that the Huskies and Bruins will have a more difficult time adjusting to the hard-hitting league, but in the immediate future, the Trojans and Ducks should be able to handle their own.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Three Ducks get selected in first two rounds of post-Senior Bowl NFL mock draft

In the latest NFL mock draft from ESPN.com, three Ducks get selected in the first two rounds in April.

It’s the heart of mock draft season and with the success of the Oregon football team in 2023, the Ducks are sure to be prevalent in the 2024 NFL draft.

ESPN.com writer and draft analyst Matt Miller predicted how the first two rounds of the draft in April will go. In his mock draft, quarterback Bo Nix, wide receiver Troy Franklin and center Jackson Powers-Johnson were included.

First off the board was Nix to the Denver Broncos as the No. 12 pick.

With Russell Wilson expected to be released, the Broncos are on the hunt for a new franchise quarterback. Nix is coming off a solid showing at the Senior Bowl, where team scouts raved about his interviews and the work he did in practice. Nix, who started for three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in 2022, is experienced and pro-ready, and he has the accuracy (nation-leading 77.4 percent completion rate) and second-effort mobility to work well with coach Sean Payton’s scheme. This might feel early for Nix, but quarterbacks always rise, and scouts keep telling me that he is going to get drafted earlier than expected. — Miller

The Broncos have never found another John Elway. Perhaps another quarterback from the Pac-10/12 will do the trick.

Powers-Johnson is the next Duck to be selected, No. 28 pick to the Buffalo Bills.

Powers-Johnson, who was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl before leaving midway through the second practice with a hamstring injury, has a great combination of agility and size. The 334-pounder would immediately be one of the largest centers in the NFL, but he moves like someone 20 pounds lighter. He is a downhill blocker, but Buffalo would love his size in the middle of an offensive line that has renewed its commitment to running the ball. — Miller

As for Franklin, ESPN sees the Duck receiver going to Vegas and playing for the Raiders with the No. 44 pick of the draft in the second round. Miller has Las Vegas drafting Michigan quarterback JJ McCarthy in the first round, and his new favorite target could be Franklin.

“Let’s give new quarterback McCarthy some friends in the passing game. Franklin is a vertical threat with awesome speed and a 6-foot-3 frame,” Miller said. “He grabbed 14 touchdowns in 2023 and picked up 1,383 yards on 81 catches. With 31 percent of his routes classifying as deep routes, Franklin is ready to stretch the field in the NFL.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Pair of Oregon Ducks make ESPN’s Way-Too-Early 2024 Second Team

Both Dillon Gabriel and Ajani Cornelius made the ESPN “Way-Too-Early” All-American team.

The 2024 college football season, which promises to be a historic one with the 12-team playoff expansion, is a little over eight months away. Oregon opens Week 0 on August 24 at Hawaii.

So obviously it’s time to think about All-American candidates.

The Oregon Ducks are expected to be one of the top teams next season with a legitimate shot at not only making the playoffs but also making a run at a possible national title.

One of many reasons is quarterback Dillon Gabriel, a senior transfer from Oklahoma. The window for winning a national title is open now and the Oregon coaching staff felt an experienced and successful quarterback was needed.

In their way-too-early selection of preseason All-Americans, ESPN puts Gabriel on the Second-Team. They put Georgia quarterback Carson Beck on the First Team.

In his two seasons at Oklahoma, Gabriel completed 66 percent of his passes good for 6,828 yards, 55 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He spent three seasons at Central Florida before that.

Another reason Gabriel chose to finish his career in Eugene was that he will play behind an experienced offensive line that will protect him. Ajani Cornelius will anchor the right side of the 2024 line for the Ducks and he was also part of ESPN’s Second Team only behind Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr.

The transfer from Rhode Island had a nice season in his first year on the D-I level where he played in all 14 games for the Ducks. Cornelius is a 6-foot-5, 308-pounder from Harlem, NY. He was an Honorable Mention on the All-Pac-12 team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oregon played in three of ESPN’s Top 100 games for 2023

Oregon appears three times in ESPN’s Top 100 games of the 2023 season and go 1-2 in those games, losing twice by a combined six points.

In 2023, we were all treated to a classic college football game nearly every single week and the Oregon Ducks had their fair share of classics this season.

Unfortunately, they didn’t come out on top in some of those.

ESPN put together its Top 100 games of the 2023 season and as expected, Oregon showed itself a few times. But so did the Huskies. It’s difficult to relive both losses to the heated rival to the North. However, Duck fans can take solace they won’t have to hear about Washington’s national title run thanks to Michigan.

Oregon shows up at No. 48 for its Sept. 9 game at Texas Tech where the Ducks get out of Lubbock with a 38-30 road victory.

Somehow, Texas Tech nearly overcame a minus-4 turnover differential to end Oregon’s CFP hopes in early September. Nearly. A 20-3 run gave Tech a nine-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, and after three lead changes and a go-ahead Camden Lewis field goal with 1:10 left, Jeffrey Bassa’s 45-yard pick-six finally sealed a wild Ducks win in West Texas. — Bill Connelly

As expected, the two and only losses of the 2023 campaign show up at Nos. 9 and 8 with the true loss in Seattle coming ahead of the Pac-12 title game in Las Vegas. Oregon lost both games by a field goal, which shows how close it was to being in the playoff itself. If the ball bounces a different way a couple of times or if the Ducks kick a field goal here or there instead of being ultra-aggressive, this season might look vastly different. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.

Here’s in part what ESPN had to say about those two games that added even more lore to a rivalry that will now go into the Big Ten Conference.

Dan Lanning fielded a brilliant Oregon team in 2023, one that went 12-0, with wins by an average score of 46-13, against teams not named Washington. But the Ducks played two tossups against the playoff-bound Huskies and came up with tails both times. — Connelly

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Running Back University? ESPN gives Oregon a claim of the title

LaMichael James, Kenjon Barner, Royce Freeman, De’Anthony Thomas…the list goes on. No wonder ESPN has UO among the top RB schools.

The Oregon Ducks football program has had great running backs throughout its history going all the way back to Bobby Moore, aka Ahmad Rashad, and Mel Renfro in the 1960s. Then in the 80s, Oregon featured tailbacks such as Derek Loville and Tony Cherry.

Oregon’s talent level at the position as only gone through the roof over the past decade and overall. According to ESPN, the Ducks are among the best football schools in the country when it comes to producing high-level tailbacks.

The Ducks happen to be the only Pac-12 team on the list and considering the rich history of USC, that’s quite remarkable. So if there’s a “Running Back U” on the West Coast, it’s Oregon.

Here’s where they stand in ESPN’s RBU rankings:

Bo Nix among four Pac-12 QBs ranked inside ESPN’s top 10

According to ESPN.com, the Pac-12 Conference is the home of three of the top four quarterbacks in the nation.

It was just a few short years ago when the Pac-12 was lacking quality quarterback talent.

My, how things have changed.

According to ESPN, the Conference of Champions is the home of three of the top four quarterbacks in the country, including Oregon’s own Bo Nix. It’s clear that the offensive firepower out west is going to be something to behold this coming season.

Everything comes in cycles and for now, the Pac-12 is enjoying elite quarterback play. Hopefully, that stays for a while for the fans of the conference because good quarterback play makes the game a lot more entertaining to watch.

Here’s where everyone ended up in the top 10, according to ESPN.

Oregon QB Bo Nix anchors strong group of Pac-12 players in ESPN 100

The Pac-12 had a massive resurgence in 2022. That’s well represented by the number of Pac-12 players in the ESPN Top 100.

If you want to watch the best players in college football, it looks like the Pac-12 is the way to go.

According to ESPN, 14 of the Top 100 players in the country play in the Conference of Champions. USC leads the way with five players.

Not surprisingly, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, ranks No. 1 on this list. Proof that the conference is better than it has been in the last quarter century, its top three quarterbacks, including Washington’s Michael Penix, Jr., will all be back in 2023. There is still no word on whether or not Utah’s Cam Rising will return in 2023.

Here are all the Pac-12 players who appeared on the list.

Eagles land just outside the top-5 in a ESPN Future Power Rankings for all 32 teams for the next 3-years

Eagles are No. 6 in ESPN’s Future Power Rankings for all 32 NFL teams

[jwplayer fXMrljf8]

The Philadelphia Eagles have a young, athletic roster with one of the top-10 quarterbacks in all of the NFL leading the way and that’s cause for supreme optimism.

The ESPN Insiders recently projected which NFL franchises are in the best shape for the next three seasons using a panel of Jeremy Fowler, Louis Riddick, Seth Walder, and Field Yates — to rate each team’s quarterback, remaining (non-QB) roster, draft, front office and coaches using this scale:

100: A+ (Elite)

90: A (Great)

80: B (Very good)

70: C (Average)

60: D (Very bad)

50 and below: F (Disastrous)

After averaging the results from the panelists, each of the five categories was weighted to create the overall score — roster (30%), quarterback (20%), draft (15%), front office (15%) and coaching (20%). The result is a comprehensive ranking based on how well each team is positioned for the future.

After all the numbers crunching and simply using your eye test, the Philadelphia Eagles landed in a super favorable spot, at No. 6 on the list, behind the hated Dallas Cowboys who landed in the top-5.

6. Philadelphia Eagles
Overall score: 82.6

CATEGORY SCORE NFL
RANK
Overall roster (minus QB) 78.0 15
Quarterback 86.0 6
Coaching 89.3 6
Draft 75.5 15
Front office 85.5 5
Why they’re here: The Eagles feature a potential MVP candidate in Carson Wentz, who showed an ability to raise the talent around him 2019. Coach Doug Pederson is resourceful, innovative and confident, while GM/executive VP of football operations Howie Roseman has infused the roster with talent while maintaining his status as a salary cap wizard who can find ways to keep this roster intact going forward. — Yates

Biggest worry: The Eagles have upgraded the speed and skill level exceptionally well at the wide receiver position as compared to what they finished the season with last year. The question is whether they can now make it all work, on the field, where Wentz is as skilled a thrower as there is in the league. Chemistry is a big part of the game of football. They need to make it happen in Philly. — Riddick

Looking ahead: Jason Kelce is done after this year, Jason Peters is now a 38-year-old guard and Brandon Brooks is coming off an Achilles tendon tear. The interior offensive line needs reinforcements. And so does the linebacker spot. The Eagles have addressed the front and back ends of the defense, and a high-pedigree sideline-to-sideline player would complete the mission. — Fowler

Top stat to know: Among QBs currently under 30, Wentz has recorded the third-best QBR season: his 2017, when he posted a 78.5. He has shown the upside, and — performance wise — is fairly reliable looking forward. If I had to bet on the current quarterbacks most likely to be above average in five years, Wentz is no lower than sixth (behind Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott). That kind of certainty is worth a lot. — Walder

The Eagles will need their young infusion of wide receiver talent to blend with the returning DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and JJ Arcega-Whiteside on offense, while the addition of Darius Slay, Javon Hargrave, and Nickell Robey-Coleman should present the Eagles with some attitude and swagger that’s been missing at the Linc for years now.

[vertical-gallery id=638108]

[lawrence-related id=638123,638096,638091,638082]

Eagles’ Lane Johnson lands outside the top-5 in a ranking of the top offensive tackles in the NFL

Lane Johnson No. 6 in ESPN.com ranking of top offensive tackles in NFL

[jwplayer nIMOsxwE]

Lane Johnson gets motivated by the slightest hint of disrespect and the recent ranking of offensive tackles by ESPN.com should have the Eagles star roaring and ready for the 2020 NFL season to start.

In a changing of the guard in some sense, Johnson finished outside the top-5, landing at No. 6 on the list behind Terron Armstead of the New Orleans Saints who was No. 5 on the list.

6. Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 30 | Highest ranking: 3 | Lowest ranking: 12

Johnson has been doing serious work at right tackle for a while now, and 2019 featured some of his best. Johnson produced the highest run-blocking grade on Pro Football Focus and won on 90.2% of his pass blocks while committing a respectable four penalties.

But his career wasn’t always trending that way in the eyes of some.

“Along lines of Tunsil — didn’t think much of him early, turned into a quality starting tackle,” a long-time defensive assistant said. “I thought he was a bust, but to his credit, he changed the conversation.”

Johnson is an ideal fit for today’s NFL that prioritizes athleticism in space, with one executive calling him “on a different level” than most from an athletical standpoint.

“Nowadays there aren’t any power-type guys where you say, ‘Oh man, he’s so powerful,'” an AFC exec said. “Aren’t a lot of guys who create movement. It’s about matching up athletically and giving your offense time. And Lane can do that.”

Johnson was a stud in 2019, but the four missed games at crucial points in the season seemed to hinder his ranking entering the 2020 NFL season.

In the ranking, Johnson maintained his status as the top right tackle in the NFL as well. Dallas Cowboys star left tackle Tyron Smith was No. 1 on the list.

[vertical-gallery id=637836]

[lawrence-related id=637870,637856,637850,637828,637823]

How to watch the 2020 NFL Schedule Release

How to watch the 2020 NFL Schedule Release

The NFL is set to release its 2020 schedule on Thursday night, with the NFL Network and ESPN both airing a three-hour special to celebrate.

All 32 NFL teams have been given permission to release their schedules early, and the Philadelphia Eagles are expected to go live with a virtual release show starting at 7:30 p.m. ET on NFL.com.

***

How to watch:

ESPN

ESPN is set to run a three-hour SportsCenter special hosted by Trey Wingo along with NFL analysts Louis Riddick and Ryan Clark as well as NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Chris Mortensen, who will break down the schedule division by division.

The schedule’s release will also stream on the ESPN app.

NFL Network

The NFL Network will air a three-hour special featuring Rich Eisen, Colleen Wolfe, Kurt Warner, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Steve Mariucci, and Steve Wyche. They’ll also be joined by NBC Sports’ Al Michaels, Fox Sports’ Joe Buck, and CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz.

The NFL Network will also include interviews from the homes of NFL head coaches and general managers from across the league, with Eagles executive Vice President Howie Roseman and head coach Doug Pederson not listed among those participating per The Inquirer.

[lawrence-related id=634000,634011,634002,633983]

[vertical-gallery id=633661]