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The Oregon Ducks kept things rolling in spring practice on Tuesday morning with their sixth session of the season, and things are progressing well as the team ramps things up heading toward the spring game.
Position battles are continuing across the depth chart as young and unproven players look to make an impression and earn a spot in the starting lineup. We will see this continue over the next couple of weeks as the Ducks get ready for the annual spring game, which will take place on April 26.
After the practice, Dan Lanning met with media members to break down how things are going with the team, and where he has seen the biggest improvements so far. Media members will also speak with new WR coach Ross Douglas, veteran WR Gary Bryant Jr., and quarterback Austin Novosad on Tuesday as well.
Here are some of the most notable quotes from Lanning's press conference:
Dan Lanning: Some really good work today from our guys. We got some good situational football, four minutes to get the ball back and goal line. Really good progress. I'm excited about where our guys are at right now. Really good energy at practice today, and some good work.
Question: From where he was two years ago, how has Austin Novosad developed the most?
DL: I think the guy's just a winner. I mean, he has become really comfortable in our system. He understands it, you know. And I think that Coach Stein and the offensive staff do a good job of continuing to push that, but he's just really level-headed. I think he's got to see some great quarterbacks in front with Dillon (Gabriel) and Bo Nix, and that experience, of seeing how those guys operate, day in and day out, and what he can be. He's a guy that can make every throw. He's a good decision maker and really a leader of our team.
Q: What are the takeaways from what kid of room Ross Douglas is building?
DL: I think that Ross is the kind of guy that comes to work every day, looking to work. He taps in every single day, saying, "Okay, I'm gonna go get this and attack it." He brings a lot of experience and knowledge, you know, from different programs, some great programs. Fran Brown did an awesome job there at Syracuse last year, and I think did a great job help developing his coaches. You know, you look at being able to win 10 games at Syracuse, you know, and really changing their offense over a year going to become one of the best passing offenses in college football. That's part of what Ross brings here, but his energy, his enthusiasm, his effort to coach every single day. I think that's really a credit to the way he approaches each day.
Q: What does Bedford's return mean to that room?
DL: We're a better team when we have healthy players out there that are able to help us. Matt's one of those guys that we're counting on be able to help us, you know, and size matters up front and experience. He's got that has more experience and it's great to see him healthy out there, and he has great energy and enthusiasm on the field.
Q: Where do you see him physically at this point, and what role and how important is he to the room now going forward?
DL: Gary looks as good as he's looked since I've been here. And you know, Gary has always been a really talented player that we felt like could help us, right? And it's just a matter of his availability and being and being healthy. He's done a great job of attacking rehab this off season, even even throughout last year, he's been a leader. You step up from the team yesterday, and had some words that are on Saturday, and had some words to share with the team about the direction of this program. So really pleased with Gary and his progress, and definitely think we're a better team with a healthy Gary out there.
Q: What metrics do you use in order to grade the growth of the team this Spring?
DL: We're better today than we were yesterday. I mean, it's, it's simple, like, if we make a mistake. Are we making that same mistake in the next practice? Because mistakes are gonna happen, and that's about growth. It's about losing a rep and a tackling drill and then saying, "I want to get back up there so I can do it again and do it better." Maybe I lose another rep, but I'm learning every one of those reps. And it's the mental approach of when I'm not in the game getting better, and when I am in getting better, and then when I take that to the meeting room. You know what's that look like, but us as coaches challenging ourselves to improve, making sure we're checking every box that we have to hit this spring, and then just letting our guys play football right. Because you got great football players. You got to adapt to their talents and their skill set to let them do that.
Q: How much do you need Matayo to be as versatile as possible?
DL: You got to be able to do it all right? And that's what's one of Matayo's strengths, is that he can, he can do it all right. There's 32 teams in the NFL, and we're all 32 want Matayo and that's because he has position versatility. It doesn't matter during three, four or four down front. You know, he's a guy that can play a six, a four eye. He's a guy that can line up and stay in space. And same with Tatum (Tuioti), he's another guy with great experience. Same with Blake Purchase, had a great spring so far, seeing great growth from Elijah (Rushing) as well. And you know, even young guys are standing out. So the more that you can do for your team, the more valuable you are for our team. And those guys are guys that can do both.
Q: How are the newcomers coming along in knowing the base offense and defense?
DL: I think they've handled it really well. You know, we take more of the approach of, you know, we have a lot of walk throughs before we get into spring ball, but we're going to throw the kitchen sink at you and see what sticks. It's going to be a challenge. It's a process. And then with every situation comes new install. Right? With every day we've had installed for every practice, right? So our guys have to remember what they've already done right, and then also be able to add to that and grow volume in a library that they're able to execute at a high level.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon football coach Dan Lanning breaks down spring practice No. 6
Continue reading...
Position battles are continuing across the depth chart as young and unproven players look to make an impression and earn a spot in the starting lineup. We will see this continue over the next couple of weeks as the Ducks get ready for the annual spring game, which will take place on April 26.
After the practice, Dan Lanning met with media members to break down how things are going with the team, and where he has seen the biggest improvements so far. Media members will also speak with new WR coach Ross Douglas, veteran WR Gary Bryant Jr., and quarterback Austin Novosad on Tuesday as well.
Here are some of the most notable quotes from Lanning's press conference:
Opening Statement
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Dan Lanning: Some really good work today from our guys. We got some good situational football, four minutes to get the ball back and goal line. Really good progress. I'm excited about where our guys are at right now. Really good energy at practice today, and some good work.
Austin Novosad progress
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Question: From where he was two years ago, how has Austin Novosad developed the most?
DL: I think the guy's just a winner. I mean, he has become really comfortable in our system. He understands it, you know. And I think that Coach Stein and the offensive staff do a good job of continuing to push that, but he's just really level-headed. I think he's got to see some great quarterbacks in front with Dillon (Gabriel) and Bo Nix, and that experience, of seeing how those guys operate, day in and day out, and what he can be. He's a guy that can make every throw. He's a good decision maker and really a leader of our team.
Receivers coach Ross Douglas
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Q: What are the takeaways from what kid of room Ross Douglas is building?
DL: I think that Ross is the kind of guy that comes to work every day, looking to work. He taps in every single day, saying, "Okay, I'm gonna go get this and attack it." He brings a lot of experience and knowledge, you know, from different programs, some great programs. Fran Brown did an awesome job there at Syracuse last year, and I think did a great job help developing his coaches. You know, you look at being able to win 10 games at Syracuse, you know, and really changing their offense over a year going to become one of the best passing offenses in college football. That's part of what Ross brings here, but his energy, his enthusiasm, his effort to coach every single day. I think that's really a credit to the way he approaches each day.
OL Matthew Bedford healthy
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Q: What does Bedford's return mean to that room?
DL: We're a better team when we have healthy players out there that are able to help us. Matt's one of those guys that we're counting on be able to help us, you know, and size matters up front and experience. He's got that has more experience and it's great to see him healthy out there, and he has great energy and enthusiasm on the field.
Gary Bryant update
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Q: Where do you see him physically at this point, and what role and how important is he to the room now going forward?
DL: Gary looks as good as he's looked since I've been here. And you know, Gary has always been a really talented player that we felt like could help us, right? And it's just a matter of his availability and being and being healthy. He's done a great job of attacking rehab this off season, even even throughout last year, he's been a leader. You step up from the team yesterday, and had some words that are on Saturday, and had some words to share with the team about the direction of this program. So really pleased with Gary and his progress, and definitely think we're a better team with a healthy Gary out there.
Grading growth
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Q: What metrics do you use in order to grade the growth of the team this Spring?
DL: We're better today than we were yesterday. I mean, it's, it's simple, like, if we make a mistake. Are we making that same mistake in the next practice? Because mistakes are gonna happen, and that's about growth. It's about losing a rep and a tackling drill and then saying, "I want to get back up there so I can do it again and do it better." Maybe I lose another rep, but I'm learning every one of those reps. And it's the mental approach of when I'm not in the game getting better, and when I am in getting better, and then when I take that to the meeting room. You know what's that look like, but us as coaches challenging ourselves to improve, making sure we're checking every box that we have to hit this spring, and then just letting our guys play football right. Because you got great football players. You got to adapt to their talents and their skill set to let them do that.
Matayo Uiagalelei's versatility
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Q: How much do you need Matayo to be as versatile as possible?
DL: You got to be able to do it all right? And that's what's one of Matayo's strengths, is that he can, he can do it all right. There's 32 teams in the NFL, and we're all 32 want Matayo and that's because he has position versatility. It doesn't matter during three, four or four down front. You know, he's a guy that can play a six, a four eye. He's a guy that can line up and stay in space. And same with Tatum (Tuioti), he's another guy with great experience. Same with Blake Purchase, had a great spring so far, seeing great growth from Elijah (Rushing) as well. And you know, even young guys are standing out. So the more that you can do for your team, the more valuable you are for our team. And those guys are guys that can do both.
Newcomers adjusting and fitting in
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Q: How are the newcomers coming along in knowing the base offense and defense?
DL: I think they've handled it really well. You know, we take more of the approach of, you know, we have a lot of walk throughs before we get into spring ball, but we're going to throw the kitchen sink at you and see what sticks. It's going to be a challenge. It's a process. And then with every situation comes new install. Right? With every day we've had installed for every practice, right? So our guys have to remember what they've already done right, and then also be able to add to that and grow volume in a library that they're able to execute at a high level.
Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon football coach Dan Lanning breaks down spring practice No. 6
Continue reading...
