Tag: Oregon Duck football

Oregon quarterbacks to get equal reps, chance to shine in Spring Game

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein says the quarterbacks should get their chance to show out on Saturday.

That quarterback room inside the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex is quite literally brimming with talent. The only problem is that there is just one quarterback can take the snap from the center at a time.

Fortunately, the Spring Game on Saturday can be maneuvered in such a way where all the quarterbacks will get their time to shine on Saturday. According to offensive coordinator Will Stein, not everything has been put together yet, but it will be.

“We haven’t necessarily mapped (quarterback snaps) out quite yet, but it’ll be somewhat even,” Stein said. “You want to give everyone an opportunity and see what they can do in that setting.”

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Fans want to see those signal callers such as Dillon Gabriel, Dante Moore and Austin Novosad show out inside Autzen, but they’ll need receivers running routes and catching passes in order to do so. Those three signal callers have a lot of choices down the field.

“We get evaluations on them every single day and we’ve had two scrimmages already,” Stein said. “We definitely want to give them the limelight with the fans, with the real clock and real officials out there. We’ll get it set and try to make it as even as we can, but it’s never perfect.”

It’ll be quite different to see Gabriel sling it from the left side and just to have anyone other than Bo Nix out there will be an adjustment for everyone. Fans have been waiting a long time to see Moore in a Duck uniform and after a year playing for the UCLA Bruins, they’ll get the chance to see the Detroit prep star in the green and/or yellow.

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They all saw a glimpse of Novosad’s arm in the Fiesta Bowl four months ago, but he’ll be able to show it off inside Autzen in front of a bunch of friendlies.

The immediate future as well as the distant one will be on display for the Ducks and as long as no one suffers an injury, it should be all fun and games for all involved.

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2023 Oregon Ducks Football Schedule: Downloadable Smartphone Wallpaper

Never miss a game this season with our downloadable 2023 Oregon Ducks football schedule for your smartphone.

Never miss a game this season with our College Wire downloadable 2023 Oregon Ducks football schedule. Use as wallpaper for your lock screen on your smartphone.

Also, share it with friends and let them have the schedule with them at all times too!

You can buy tickets to every Oregon Ducks game at TicketSmarter.

Download the 2022 Oregon Ducks football schedule here.

 

Oregon track star Micah Williams joins football team as receiver

Oregon added more speed and depth to the receiver room as track star Micah Williams joined the team as a walk-on.

As if the Oregon Ducks needed more talent and speed in the receiver room.

The Ducks added track star Micah Williams to the football team as a walk-on wide receiver. Williams is 5-foot-8 and has a personal record in the 100-meter dash of 9.91 seconds, being named to the USA Olympic team as a 4x100m relay alternate last year.

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In comparison, freshman corner Rodrick Pleasant — the former fastest guy on the team, and the California high school state record holder in the 100m — has a PR of 10.13 seconds.

When he was at Benson High School in Portland, Williams was a three-time Gatorade Oregon boy’s track and field Runner of the Year (2017-20). He was the 2019 New Balance Nationals indoor champion in the 60 meters with a  winning time of 6.60 and was ranked No. 1 nationally.

This addition just adds more speed and flexibility to the Duck receiver corps as well as a possible kick return specialist. Williams will wear No. 84.

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As a 5th-year starter, Bo Nix is seeing his experience pay dividends on the field

Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is a lot more comfortable than he was this time last season and the Ducks are going to benefit for it.

Oregon Ducks quarterback Bo Nix is in a very different spot than he was at this time a year ago.

In April 2022, Nix was that new transfer that as feeling his way around the football program and Eugene after coming from SEC Country and Auburn.

Flash forward a year. Nix is now very comfortable in his surroundings as the leader of a football team that should make a lot of noise in 2023. That comfort feeling off the field should pay dividends on the field.

“I’ve grown so much just off the field on the field. As a leader, as a teammate, as a quarterback,” Nix said. “You really can’t put a price on how much I’ve grown and I think it shows now just some competence out on the field.

“I have a different sense of awareness when I’m out there and being on offense, even though it’s not almost all the same, but remotely the same and I have the concepts down. It’s not as much thinking as it is just playing. It’s just matching what I know from what I’ve learned and what I’ve been taught and then just going out there and playing.”

Having an experienced quarterback that doesn’t need a lot of supervision is going to go a long way for some of the new offensive coaches, such as new offensive coordinator Will Stein. Not having to worry about a young quarterback learning the playbook can allow Stein to focus on other younger players.

“This year is probably the most eye-opening that I really get to see it. I’m in a great situation,” Nix said. “Our coaches really allowed me to be flexible and do a lot. I’m thankful for that. But at the same time, they do a great job of teaching me what to do when I’m out there. And so I do feel like I have a lot under my belt. I got a lot of visual pictures images of safety, rotation and fronts, and routes and timing and so it also helps to go with similar guys again like Troy, T-Ferg, Kris, those guys, so that will be great moving forward. Now that I got a lot under my belt seen a lot can now go out there and just play.”

Oregon fans have witnessed, both as a Duck and as an opponent, what happens when Nix just goes out there and plays. What happens is a lot of touchdowns and a lot of wins.

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Dan Lanning and the Ducks were named the big winners of early signing day

Everyone agrees Oregon was a huge winner on Signing Day.

The world seemed to be ending when Dante Moore flipped his commitment from Oregon to UCLA earlier this week. But after what the Ducks were able to accomplish on Wednesday during the early signing period, Oregon fans didn’t seem to care about Moore going to Pasadena as much as they used to.

Instead, Dan Lanning pulled up his bootstraps and orchestrated the best single day of recruiting in Oregon history, and he is seemingly not quite finished.

But until more sign on, many of the recruiting services consider Oregon one of the big winners on signing day. According to writer Andrew Ivins of 247Sports:

Shortly after 8 a.m. on the East Coast, news broke that Top247 quarterback Austin Novosad was flipping from Baylor to Oregon. Most Ducks fans on the West Coast were probably asleep, but that’s OK because that Novosad flip was really just a preview for what was to come next.

In the span of roughly six hours, Oregon went from holding the nation’s No. 14-ranked recruiting class to the No. 7 class in the land as they beat out USC and Ohio State for five-star edge rusher Matayo Uiagalelei before flipping both Top247 safety Peyton Bowen and four-star running back Jayden Limar from Notre Dame. Oregon is still waiting on Bowen’s LOI at time of this article. The Ducks were also able to pry Top247 cornerback Daylen Austin away from LSU.

Not a bad day at the office for Dan Lanning, who has Oregon in prime position to sign just its third top 10-ranked recruiting class in the past 10 years.

While the Ducks are riding high, in the famous words of Ace Ventura, “In every contest, there must be a loser.” According to Ivins, one of those losers is former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal.

“No program entered Wednesday hotter than the Miami Hurricanes; you could practically see the steam coming off Mario Cristobal,” Ivins writes. “This is a phenomenal class that includes two franchise offensive tackles and offers some much-needed momentum to those in the 305. However, what is currently the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class hangs in the balance — at least a little bit. The big headline of the day is that five-star cornerback Cormani McClain (the No. 9 recruit nationally) delayed signing his LOI.”

The Hurricanes still brought in a great class. It’s what you do with that class and classes after that is where it matters. The same goes for the Ducks and Lanning. Bringing in high-rated recruits is one thing, but if that doesn’t equal wins on the field, it won’t mean a whole lot.

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SIGNED: 4-star cornerback Cole Martin is officially an Oregon Duck

Oregon may have solved its kick returner problem with the signing of 4-star cornerback Cole Martin.

Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning and his staff have spent a lot of time in the town of Chandler, Ariz. They were recruiting defensive lineman A’Mauri Washington and now they signed 4-star corner Cole Martin. The two players went to different schools, however.

At 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, Martin is a good candidate for a free safety spot and more importantly, he’s a very good possibility at either as a kickoff returner, punt returner, or both.

The Ducks have had a hard time finding an explosive returner for a couple of years now and the first two highlights of Martin’s video show him as a returner who can hit the hole at full speed and outrun the coverage.

Cole Martin’s Signing Day Profile

SIGNED: 3-star offensive lineman Bryce Boulton is officially a Duck

Oregon went into Palm Desert, Calif. to managed to sign offensive lineman Bryce Boulton.

The recruiting services don’t seem to be a fan of offensive lineman Bryce Boulton, but obviously Oregon and coach Dan Lanning sees something they do not.

At 6-3 and 255 pounds, Boulton is on the smaller side to be an offensive lineman. Being from Palm Desert, perhaps it’s the heat that kept his weight down. Once he gets to the cooler climate of Eugene, Boulton will be able to gain the pounds he needs to be an effective lineman for the Ducks.

He’s listed as an interior offensive lineman or most likely a snapper. Oregon has had a history of great long snappers, so Boulton might be the next one.

SIGNED: 3-star offensive lineman Lipe Moala is officially a Duck

Oregon was able to go into the great Mater Dei High School and scoop up its massive offensive lineman in 330-lb Lipe Moala.

When you attend Mater Dei High School and play football, you are expected to be a winner.

In Lipe Moala’s case, he’s a big winner as he is 6-foot-6 and weighs 330 pounds and is coming off back-to-back state titles. Moala is now coming up to Oregon with hopes of helping the Ducks win more titles.

His size is indicative of an SEC-type offensive lineman. Schools like Louisville and Colorado State wanted Moala’s services, but he decided to be a Duck.

Oregon has had a long history with that particular school in Santa Ana as they continually develop D-I talent and Moala is the next Monarch to become a Duck.

SIGNED: 4-star athlete Kenyon Sadiq is officially an Oregon Duck

Oregon was able to sign one of the best athletes in the country with Idaho’s Kenyon Sadiq.

It’s unusual to find one of the best athletes in the state of Idaho, but here we are.

Kenyon Sadiq, out of Idaho Falls, is one of those athletic players that can play almost anywhere he wants on a football field. At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Sadiq is projected to be a tight end once he arrives in Eugene. But he could end up as a linebacker. It all depends on where the Ducks happen to need him.

All of the recruiting services say Sadiq is the No. 1 player in Idaho and a Top 5 athlete in the nation. Oregon was able to beat out Michigan and Iowa State for Sadiq’s services and his rise up the depth chart, whether it be on offense or defense, should be an interesting story once the 2023 season arrives.

Caleb Chapman is ready to put his injuries in the rear view mirror

Oregon wide receiver Caleb Chapman looks to put his injuries behind him and wants to make an impact for the Ducks.

Caleb Chapman wasn’t in Eugene for spring practices, but it looks like that won’t matter much.

The former Texas A&M wide receiver joined the Ducks via the transfer portal early this summer and it didn’t take long for Chapman to open a lot of eyes within the Oregon program.

At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, the senior has been battling injuries throughout his career, including two ACL tears and a foot ailment, so his statistics don’t jump off the page. Now completely healthy, Chapman looks to jump up the depth chart and become a major threat to take a starting spot from someone in an already deep and talented receivers room.

Here’s everything of note Chapman had to say in his first media session as a Duck.