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Still on THE FAST TRACK THE OREGON DUCKS have been synonymous with fast-paced offenses, and even with a different coach, some things don’t change.
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ON THE COVER
Tony Brooks-James playing for Team Brave in the Spring Game on Saturday, April 29, 2017. Photograph by Adam Eberhardt
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Oregon Ducks head coach Willie Taggart and assistant head coach Joe Salave'a choose the next participants in a tackling drill on Wednesday, April 26, 2017.
AP Poll: Oregon outside top 25, Washington at No. 8 in preseason poll BY: Shawn Medow @ShawnMedow | PHOTO: Aaron Nelson The first Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the 2017 season is out and Oregon did not make the cut. It’s the first time since 2007 that the Ducks are absent from AP’s preseason Top 25. This does not come as a surprise as Oregon finished the 2016 season with a 4-8 record, fired the coaching staff led by Mark Helfrich and brought in a new one in Willie Taggart. The Ducks did receive 21 votes to be in the Top 25, unofficially ranking them at No. 33 in the country. Topping the preseason poll is Alabama followed by Ohio State and Florida State, while defending national
champions Clemson comes in at No. 5. Though Oregon is not on the list, plenty of rivals and opponents this season are. USC, who Oregon does not play this season, is the highest ranked Pac-12 team at No. 4 while Washington, who the Ducks will travel to play in Seattle on Nov. 4, rank at No. 8. The Ducks play No. 14 Stanford in Palo Alto on Oct. 14, and No. 24 Washington State in Eugene on Oct. 7. Utah just missed the cut. It was two spots outside of the Top 25. Also making the list is Taggart’s former school, South Florida, ranked No. 19.
Here is the complete Top 25:
1. Alabama 2. Ohio State 3. Florida State 4. USC 5. Clemson 6. Penn State 7. Oklahoma 8. Washington 9. Wisconsin 10. Oklahoma State 11. Michigan 12. Auburn 13. LSU
14. Stanford 15. Georgia 16. Louisville 17. Florida 18. Miami (Fla.) 19. South Florida 20. Kansas State 21. Virginia Tech 22. West Virginia 23. Texas 24. Washington State 25. Tennessee
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Practice Report:
Oregon holds second scrimmage, Taggart talks about upcoming season opener BY: Gus Morris @JustGusMorris | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt Oregon’s open practice on Sunday at Autzen Stadium in front season ticket holders was originally scheduled to be the Ducks’ second scrimmage of the fall. Instead, Oregon held a regular practice. However, it was far from a regular practice for Kaulana Apelu. As Apelu lined up for a drill, head coach Willie Taggart paused it and looked at the jumbotron. Apelu’s mother’s voice beckoned from the speaker as she appeared on the screen informing Apelu he earned a scholarship. The whole team then swarmed Apelu in celebration. Head coach Willie Taggart talked about the special moment for Apelu, a walk-on, before practice on Tuesday. “Kaulana, he earned it,” Taggart said. “He comes to work every single day. He comes to practice every single day. He just loves playing the game and he’s a good kid, done well in school
and I’d say he’s earned everything he’s gotten to this point.” Even two days removed, the moment was still fresh in the player’s minds. But with Oregon’s season opener inching closer, it was time to get back to work. So, Oregon held their second scrimmage of the fall camp. Taggart once again emphasized consistency as an area of importance. “Consistent play,” Taggart said. “Again, we want guys on the offensive side of the ball to take care of the ball, and score touchdowns. And on the defensive side of the ball, I want to play fundamentally sound defensively and take the ball away.” ‘Christmas’ approaches Taggart also sounds like he’s more than ready for the season to arrive. “I’m ready,” he said. “I’m ready for this
scrimmage. It’ll be fun, seeing our guys compete. You get nervous, can’t sleep. But it’s football season; it’s like Christmas.” As Oregon’s season opener nears, players see a more cohesive unit coming together. Even Taggart talked about some practices where he’s seen guys gel. “I see it quite a bit,” Taggart said. “We have our days. I think that’s training camp, though. You’re gonna get those days and you want more of those days consistently, but they’ve been up and down. But that’s part of it. I feel good about our football team and where their heads are at.” While he wouldn’t call his team “game ready” yet, Taggarts expects to be ready after a week of game preparation. “I don’t think you’re game ready until you go out and play that game,” Taggart said. “By next Saturday we’ll be game ready.” Oregon Ducks linebacker Kaulana Apelu (39) tackles an Arizona State Sun Devlis player at Autzen Stadium on Oct. 29, 2016.
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Coordinators and assistants react to Oregon’s scrimmage BY: Shawn Medow @ShawnMedow PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt On Wednesday, Oregon football’s coordinators and assistant coaches spoke to the media for the first time since Tuesday’s scrimmage. Defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Jim Leavitt said he and his staff examined film from the scrimmage for “about four or five hours.” “Had a good scrimmage yesterday, got a lot of snaps, we graded our defense staff about four or five hours, looking at it hard,” Leavitt said. “You know, there’s always some good things and there’s always some things you wish you did better but the arrow keeps going up. We have a chance and guys are working hard.” Oregon’s defense is beginning to shape up. With a lot of young players expected to play this year, Oregon’s second scrimmage of the fall gave the coaching staff another chance to see how they’ve progressed. “I thought they went out there ready to go,” Leavitt said. “We had a pretty good meeting before the scrimmage. I thought they came out and went after it pretty good. Overall, I thought we lined up pretty good. I was happy with that. The depth chart is yet to be released but depth on defense could be lacking. Leavitt hinted at a significant drop from the first team to the second. “[The first team] I thought did very, very well,” Leavitt said. “Our [second team] did good, they’re young, they’ll get better as they go. It’s a tall order to put a lot of those freshmen against our number one offense but they battled them pretty good.” On the offense, co-offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal did not see everything he wanted from the scrimmage. He still says that the Oregon Ducks co-offensive coordinator Marcus Arroyo smiles as the centers prepare to snap footballs to their quarterbacks.
group is working hard, has pride and is coming along since he took over the offense in spring. “The entire time—I’m talking back to practice one of the spring time all the way to practice 16—there has been steady progress and improvement,” Cristobal said. “The best part about this game, the game of football, this is a developmental game and you really don’t stop developing until you retire. I’m talking about 10, 11-year NFL vets. So, we’ve taken that approach. And when you take that, it keeps you hungry, it keeps you engaged and it’s been really good for our guys.” Co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo is still working on the quarterback depth chart. The one thing that is apparent is that Justin Herbert will return as the starter. The only question that remains is whether Taylor Alie or Braxton Burmeister will be the backup. Arroyo says that the position will be sorted out this week. With a young and thin wide receiver core, Arroyo is being careful not to set expectations for the offense too high ahead of the season. “I think we’re all old enough and experienced enough to know not to assume something you’re not,” Arroyo said. “We just look at it day by day, especially when we have so much youth. We’re really trying to asses what those guys are doing day to day based on a 24-hour basis. If you get too far ahead and you’re looking back on a group that’s really young like that you can end up losing sight of what you can be good at, what you need to focus on and you start projecting and doing things maybe outside the box outside of what you should be capable of doing.”
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Oregon Ducks quarterback Justin Herbert (10) runs down the field at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2016.
Oregon Ducks running back Tony Brooks-James (20) tries to escape the tackle of Utah Utes defensive back Marcus Williams (20). The Oregon Ducks play the No. 11 Utah Utes at RiceEccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016.
Royce Freeman (21) carries the ball against Arizona State Sun Devils at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Ore. on Oct. 29, 2016. PA G E 6
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Oregon’s offense and its
NEED FOR SPEED BY: Shawn Medow @ShawnMedow | PHOTO: Adam Eberhardt If there is one thing that Oregon football is nationally known for, besides its flashy jerseys, it’s the team’s speedy offense. With a new coaching staff, players have to adjust to different coaching styles and philosophies. However, one thing that seems certain to remain with this new regime is the identity of Oregon’s offense. “There’s a lot of different things that we’ve got to get used to as far as speaking their language and knowing their style of offense,” running back Tony Brooks-James said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still ball. So, we line up and just play football.” Over the past decade, Oregon was known for its quick-footed quarterbacks. From Dennis Dixon, Jeremiah Masoli and Darron Thomas to Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and graduate transfer Vernon Adams Jr., Oregon had pace at quarterback. Justin Herbert, who is set to be the starting quarterback for Oregon in his sophomore season, may not have the same foot-speed. What Herbert does have is a quick release and the ability to control a hurry-up offense that the Ducks will remain in this season. “I would say the emphasis is on going fast,” Herbert said. “We’ve got so many plays that are trying to get the ball to the fast guys and let them make plays. So my job is to just distribute the ball and get it to the fast guys and let them take care of it.” Herbert, who became the starter as a freshman in the 2016 season, worked on his physique in the offseason and even spoke with Marcus Mariota about keeping calm in difficult circumstances on the field. “He’s just changed,” Taggart said. “Whether it’s in the weight room, competing with the other guys, he’s gained about 15 pounds from last year. Justin’s walking outside with his shirt off now, and if you all know Justin, that wasn’t him before.” Oregon’s main source of speed comes from its running backs. Brooks-James, whose acceleration burns opposing defenses, says that the team will maintain a “speed-spread offense” and will remain “fast-tempo.” “He wants our tempo to be faster and things
like that,” Brooks-James said of head coach Willie Taggart. Taggart understands the importance of the running game for the Ducks. He knows that a good running game can make the difference between a winning football program and a losing one. “I think the ground game has always been the strong point of Oregon football,” Taggart said. “I don’t see that being any different. If you look at any winning football team out there, especially championship football teams, they do a great job running the football.” Donte Pimpleton is the running backs coach. He played with Taggart at Western Kentucky where the two later coached together prior to moving to South Florida. Pimpleton has prioritized one part of Oregon’s running game: vision. “He’s taught us about the game more on how to read defenses, how to read rotations and who’s coming and who’s who,” Brooks-James said. “We’ve definitely emphasized that and it’s helped my game a lot.” Oregon possesses a plethora of running backs with different skill sets, including three freshmen: Darrian Felix, CJ Verdell and Cyrus Habibi-Likio. “Felix is more of a speed guy, CJ is a hard runner, staying low to the ground,” Brooks-James said. “Cyrus, he reminds me a lot of Thomas Tyner. Just his body structure, and how he looks in his pads. He runs hard.” Of course, there are returners too, including Brooks-James, senior Royce Freeman and redshirt senior Kani Benoit. Freeman’s return means the Ducks will have one of the strongest group of running backs in the country, and Taggart has high hopes for Freeman’s senior year. “I tell you what, Royce has some speed,” Taggart said. “It’s pretty cool to have a guy that’s big and strong that can run some people over and run away from people too. Royce reminds me a lot of Toby Gerhart.” Gerhart, a former Stanford running back who was a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2009, is quite the comparison for Freeman. Freeman and the running backs need the help of their teammates to get them into open space. This comes down to the offensive line,
which will have more experience than it had last year when the group was made up primarily of redshirt freshmen. “I think it’s awesome to have so many guys, so many options,” Herbert said. “The o-line is interchangeable. You need to have more than just five guys to play. I’ve got complete confidence in the guys that are the back ups, guys like George Moore and Brady [Aiello]—those guys are ready.” The ground game should be used more often for the Ducks this season after Oregon lost a large chunk of their wide receiver depth. Because of this, the offensive line’s importance to a successful Oregon offense can’t be understated. “It’s like coach [Pimpleton] says,” BrooksJames said. “‘If you know where a block’s supposed to be, and is going to be, then you can float to the hole because that’s where the hole is supposed to be.’” The loss of Darren Carrington, who was dismissed from the program after a DUII in July, looms large on Oregon Charles Nelson, who has the most experience of the wide receivers, returns. Sophomore Dillon Mitchell will have to step up while Taj Griffin and Brenden Schooler transition to receivers from running back and safety, respectively. With all of this, Oregon’s motive is still speed. “We’re trying to push the issue to go fast every single play,” Nelson said. “It’s not just to tire out the defense. It makes it hard on the defensive coordinator to get a call in and get their guys lined up and set.” The Ducks are practicing the high-tempo offense, which Nelson says benefits their defense just as much as it helps the offense. “I feel like it gets them ready for another team that’s probably going to do that,” Nelson said. “It just gets them ready and lined up and communicating. They have to communicate to get everything in.” Taggart has confidence in the pace of the offense and he doesn’t have any plans to change the team’s strategy. “We just want to go fast,” Taggart said. “It doesn’t matter the time or anything. We want to go fast. There will be times we don’t go fast. We’ve got to dictate when we want to go fast in our offense but we definitely don’t want to be slow.”
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Under the radar: Players to watch BY: Zak Laster @zlast3445 | PHOTO: Natalie Hardwicke, Theo Mechain, Aaron Nelson and Amanda Shigeoka Oregon Ducks wide receiver Alex Ofodile (4) speaks at media availability .
Alex Ofodile
At wide receiver, the first two names that come to mind are Charles Nelson and Dillon Mitchell. But a solid number three option that should have plenty of opportunities this season is Ofodile. He battled injuries during his first year on campus. Last season, he played in seven games, but had just one catch for eight yards in a November win over the Utah Utes. Now healthy, Ofodile, who stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 205 pounds should finally get to take advantage of his opportunity to be a big-bodied target for quarterback Justin Herbert.
#4
When Taggart came to Oregon from South Florida, many people assumed that the Ducks’ recruiting presence in the Florida would increase. So far, it has and Scott is one of the first fruits of the Florida harvest. Standing at 6-foot-1, 333 pounds, freshman Scott caught the attention of the Ducks’ coaching staff with not just his size, but his quickness. With such a big body and the skill to accompany it, he should attract the attention of the opposing offensive lineman this season, which could free up other players to get after the quarterback.
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After Oregon linebacker Kaulana Apelu (39) is consoled after dropping a near interception.
Apelu was the focus of the Aug. 20, practice when head coach Willie Taggart awarded him a full athletic scholarship. He joined the Oregon football team as a walk-on in 2015 after tearing his ACL in both knees in high school. In his first year at Oregon he played in every game on special teams. Last season, he made his first career start against Arizona State. He finished the game with five tackles, one interception, and he completed the year with 29 tackles and two starts. With the work he’s put in this offseason, Apelu should see a lot of action at the linebacker position in 2017, and be someone to keep an eye on.
The offseason dismissal of Darren Carrington created a need at wide receiver . When Taggart was introduced as the new head coach of Oregon football, he made it clear to the players on the roster that freshmen were going to be brought in with the opportunity to take playing time away from returning players. Johnny Johnson III could be one of those players. At 6-foot2, Johnson is another big body that should see some playing time on the outside, as the smaller, speedier receivers play the inside positions.
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Defensive lineman Jordon Scott (34) practices his footwork during defensive drills.
Jordon Scott Wide receiver Johnny Johnson III (80) stands among defensive teammates.
Johnny Johnson III
GAMEDAY
La’mar Winston: Growing into his role BY: Jack Butler @Butler917 | PHOTO: Kaylee Domzalski and Aaron Nelson
Oregon Ducks linebacker La’Mar Winston (32) tries to fight through a block by offensive linemen Doug Brenner (57).
Oregon Ducks linebacker La’Mar Winston Jr. (34) tackles Oregon State Beavers wide receiver Victor Bolden Jr. (6).
In 2016, Oregon’s linebackers never seem settled. Thenfreshman Troy Dye was the only constant in a unit that suffered from injuries and inconsistent play. Now, with the Ducks going from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4, adding a linebacker position, it makes depth important. A few players are ready to make the change and make their presence felt on the field. La’Mar Winston Jr. is one of those players. The sophomore and four-star recruit from Portland, Oregon, is competing for a starting outside linebacker spot. Winston is not built like a prototypical outside linebacker. He’s not the 6-foot-4 linebacker with long arms and an innate ability to pass-rush. Winston Jr. is undersized for the position, but he still has the necessary tools. “He’s quick, he’s violent, he’s strong; pound-for-pound for his size,” outside linebacker coach Raymond Woodie said. “You can get away with a guy that may be energized in people’s mind. But in my mind he can play the base, he can play the [weakside]. He’s just so active.” Winston Jr. became a force when he finally felt comfortable in the defense. He knew where to be and where to go, so now he can play fast. “Learning a new defense is very difficult,” Winston Jr. said. “That spring period was crucial to me making an impact on the fall. Now I’m more comfortable with the playbook than I ever have been.” Winston Jr. used the summer to build his mind and his body. The entire team and coaching staff raved about the job strength coach Irele Oderinde
did over the summer. They may have payed a price, but they say they’re stronger, including Winston Jr. “I really enjoyed it because coach [Oderinde] challenged us and I’m all about getting a nice challenge,” he said. “He helped me gain muscle mass and weight. I’m more comfortable being aggressive now that I have the strength to my game.” Getting aggressive and pushing opposing offensive lineman on the pass rush is something an outside linebacker needs, and it is something Winston Jr. is working on. He’s naturally athletic, so he’s a versatile guy. But pass rushing also requires skill, not just strength. “The biggest adjustment for me would probably be getting used to using my hands a lot,” he said. “Using my hands when I’m attacking. Using my hands when I’m in pass rush, club rip and all those different kinds of combinations. That’s really been a huge adjustment.” He is enjoying the new position. It’s the best of both worlds. He can drop back in coverage and rush the passer. “That’s one thing I can do well; I can cover well,” he said. “So one thing I’d like to do now is pass rush. It gives me an opportunity to do both and treat it almost as a strong safety, coming down and blitzing and stuff like that. It’s pretty fun.” Versatility is a common word when talking about linebackers, but it’s for a reason. If the Ducks defense wants to go from the bottom to the top, they’ll need all the versatility they can get, and Winston Jr. can be that guy.
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Building dominance
Orgeon Ducks offensive lineman Logan Bathke (60) practices his footwork on Saturday April 22, 2017 at a spring practice.
BY: Aaron Alter @aaronalter95 PHOTO: Aaron Nelson and Phillip Quinn
For most of his career, Oregon offensive line coach Mario Cristobal was coaching or playing on dominant offensive lines. “I’ve been spoiled,” Cristobal said. “I played at Miami when it was the best team in the country, coached there when it was the best team in the country. I spent some time at Alabama... even our offensive line at Rutgers was underestimated.” Now Cristobal is working to bring the Ducks into that group. In 2016, the Ducks’ offensive line was not up to Oregon’s standard. With veteran Tyrell Crosby lost to injury after the Nebraska game, the line was manned by freshmen with little to no game experience. One of those starters was Calvin Throckmorton. Now, with a year of play under his belt, Throckmorton thinks Cristobal’s coaching is bringing out the best in the team. “It’s an intensity that I’ve never seen matched by anybody else before,” Throckmorton said. “He’s pushing us to be the best we can be, and not accepting anything less than that.” According to Crosby, that intensity isn’t just for show. “He’s not there just to scream at you,” Crosby said. “He wants to see you improve and get better each day.” Coming to the Pac-12 from the Southeastern Conference is a big switch. The perception is that the SEC is tough, and runs hard-nosed, smash-mouth football. The Pac-12 is seen as favoring spread offenses and passing attacks. While neither is entirely true, Cristobal has certainly imported grit, a factor that Oregon lacked last season. A major part
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of his technique is embedding a sense of toughness in all elements of his line’s play, regardless of scheme. “We have a little bit of everything,” Cristobal said. “Every single one of them requires physicality.” Cristobal also rejects the idea that certain schemes are inherently soft or less aggressive. “Zone football is sometimes mistaken for sideways football,” Cristobal said. “We have the opposite mentality. We want to knock you back.” For Oregon, the success of the offense hinges on star running back Royce Freeman, and starting quarterback Justin Herbert. Neither can excel without a strong offensive line, a fact that Cristobal’s players are keenly aware of. “They’ve got the right O-line mentality,” Cristobal said. “We’re here to serve. We’re here to protect, to break holes in the line of scrimmage, and not worry about any tad bit of recognition. There is no ‘my bad.’ My bad is the quarterback getting checked into Slocum for some kind of examination. We don’t tread on that world.” At the end of the day, the vision of head coach Willie Taggart is at the core of what drives Cristobal. “He’s got a great plan and he’s got a great philosophy,” Cristobal said. “We all are in it 1,000 percent.” In turn, Cristobal’s players have bought in 100 percent to his system. “We all trust him,” Crosby said. “Anything he says, we’ll do without hesitation. We believe in him and what he’s telling us.”
Oregon Ducks offensive line coach and co-offensive coordinator Mario Cristobal gives blocking instructions during a drill at a spring practice on Monday, April 17, 2017.
GAMEDAY Oregon Ducks quarterback Taylor Alie (12) throws downfield.
Battle for backup BY: Jack Butler @Butler917 PHOTO: Aaron Nelson and Phillip Quinn
Team Brave quarterback Braxton Burmeister (17) tries to outrun a Team Free defender.
Oregon football head coach Willie Taggart has not made an official announcement on who the starting quarterback is. But honestly, he doesn’t need to. Sophomore Justin Herbert will be the starter come September 2 against Southern Utah — there is no doubt about that. But it’s the two players behind him — freshman Braxton Burmeister and senior Taylor Alie — who are fighting for places on the depth chart. “We’re all just competing and trying to get better,” Alie said. “We’re supportive of each other which is really good and healthy in a competition.” Backup quarterbacks are important. The quarterback is arguably the most important position on the football field, so if the starter goes down with an injury, a competent quarterback needs to be ready to fill in. It’s no different for the Ducks. If Herbert goes down with an injury, they’ll be relying on two inexperienced players. Oregon suffered a similar incident in 2015 when Vernon Adams Jr. got injured and Jeff Lockie took over. So Will that stop the Ducks from running Herbert? To Taggart, it won’t. “If we start thinking about that, that’s when we’re really going to handcuff ourselves,” he said. “If something happens then the next guy has got to be ready. All we think about now is developing guys at that position. “ The Ducks didn’t always lack quarterback depth. They began the spring with five quarterbacks on their roster, including Terry Wilson Jr. and Travis Jonsen, who some believed could replace Herbert as the starter. Both transferred to different schools. In spring, Alie made the transition to wide receiver out of necessity. Oregon possessed enough quarterbacks but lacked depth at wideout. Alie even had a catch in the spring game. But
once fall camp started, he switched back to the quarterbacks, once again, out of necessity. He doesn’t mind the switch. “I definitely like being back at quarterback,” Alie said. “It was a fun trial period at receiver, just seeing it from a different angle.” Alie learned from his experience at wide receiver, and he feels the new knowledge will help him at quarterback. “Just the different ways that the coverage looks out there, certain routes and what we’re expecting at quarterback and certain timing,” Alie said. Burmeister, the other quarterback pining for a spot on the depth chart, joined the program as a four-star recruit from California. His first taste of live college football came during the spring game in April. He looked overwhelmed at times — not entirely surprising for a true freshman — and finished the game 3-for-7 on passes for 63 yards with one interception and four sacks. Since then, Burmeister used summer to grow physically and mentally, and to build on what he learned in the spring. “I think that’s another part of having a kid who comes in early,” quarterbacks coach Marcus Arroyo said. “You get a chance to go home, work out a little bit, be around [the program], mature as far as, ‘Ok, I know what to expect.’” When it comes to how Taggart is judging the backup quarterback position, it’s doesn’t vary from how he would judge a starter. “We need to see consistency and guys that can execute our offense, and guys that don’t make a lot of mental mistakes,” Taggart said. “You’ve got to take care of the football. That football is all of our dreams, goals and aspirations, and there’s a lot of people depending on them to take care of that football.” The Ducks are depending on Herbert right now, but in a blink of an eye, they could be depending on Alie or Burmeister.
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