kirklandduck

I think ISM and Sampson Niu were both expected to take up leadership roles in the LB corp but Niu opted out of the season for personal reasons. ISM obviously couldn't hold up the leadership mantle by himself in 2020, I suspect if we had both playing then things would have been visibly better.

This one is a shocker to me. I thought he should have at least gone through Spring workouts to see where he is, even with an up and down 2020 season he has the advantage of game experience in the current offensive scheme. I don't think Anthony Brown is the answer for next season, he's experienced but my impression is that his ceiling just isn't as high as the younger guys. Might as well start a younger guy to develop him more quickly than band-aiding with AB for one season. Taking a shot in the dark, I'm going to say Jay Butterfield is the lead to start in the Fall. He's had the opportunity to practice in Moorhead's offense in 2020 without the pressure of starting and he has a similar toolset as Shough. Add to that a presumed full set of Spring practices and a real pre-season plus 3 OOC games, that sets things up nicely for him. Robby Ashford could have a shot as I feel like a true dual threat QB like him is better suited for Moorhead's O but I think he was more raw than Butterfield when Oregon recruited him and I'm going to guess that's still the case. Ty Thompson has enough talent to challenge for QB1 but that being said, it's rare for a true frosh to come in at QB and perform right away. Plus in that scenario it would be virtually guaranteed that at least 1 other QB would transfer out, putting Oregon in an awkward situation.

It'll be interesting to see how the careers of both those youngsters shake out and how they compare. For me the bigger worry is that if by some chance Thompson wins the starting role, we'd probably have at least two QBs transfer out. Cale Millen has already left, I would guess Tyler Shough and one other (Anthony Brown?)....leaving the QB room very shallow behind the starter. It has potential for that Braxton Burmeister scenario that we all dread.

One other thing to remind fans about is that 2021 is Mario's 3rd recruiting class (I don't count the class he had to salvage from Taggart's desertion, he literally only had 2 weeks to work with that). 3 recruiting classes means that the 1st class is only now becoming juniors or redshirt sophomores, so all his recruits so far consist of primarily underclassmen. Food for thought.

Absolutely true, at least in the couple of bars I've been in. I have not had the chance to attend a game in Husky Stadium but when I finally do I'll be completely decked out in UO gear. My neighbor's ribbing was in good nature as he's a good guy but I had to give him something back in equal measure lol.

I'm more than happy with a top 10 ranking no matter where Oregon finishes!

Oh I was grinning all the way home! BTW I think his wife went to WSU haha

That's very interesting. I never saw anything that would indicate any sort of friction between Avalos and the rest of the Oregon coaching staff, then again the program has done a solid job of locking down rumors and issues within the program communication-wise for years. Maybe it was a grudgingly accepted relationship similar to Cristobal/Leavitt? In any case, the more I read about DeRuyter and learn about his past defenses the more I'm inclined to say he is an upgrade (on paper) over Avalos. He has a long resume of success in multiple programs with lesser talent, it'll be exciting to see what he does next season.

My gut was telling me that he was going to Oregon, this is a fantastic pickup given the graduation of several DBs. Paired with the Byron Cardwell signing I'd say this has been a very successful late signing period. Of course getting JTT would be the gigantic cherry on top but I think he's going to Alabama.

I live in the Seattle area and I gotta tell you, the sheer deliriousness of most Husky fans here is comical. I recall last Summer I took a walk around my neighborhood as there wasn't much else to do because of the COVID lockdowns, a neighbor of mine was having a safely distanced get-together on his driveway with other neighbors in picnic chairs. He spots me wearing my Oregon hat and sends some boos and jeers my way. I apologized, saying "I know...I'm sorry, I'm sorry....that the Ducks keep winning." He clammed right up and his wife bust out laughing. That was a great walk lol

Watching it now. Only 10 minutes into it but he's a very personable and articulate guy at least. Non-committal as to exactly what he's going to run at Oregon, probably because he's still evaluating personnel and writing up the schemes.

Precisely. The difference between Rivals 3-7 is tiny based on total points and you can even say 3-8 as well. Even if Oregon finishes at 6, they're only behind by a very small amount. I'll take a top 10 recruiting class any day of the week!

I'm inclined to agree not to count Shough out. Last year was stacked against him from the get-go with spring workouts truncated to just a few weeks, a short pre-season, no OOC cupcake games, a new offense to learn, and a whole new OL. His first 3 starts of last season showed that he has the talent to start, he now has some advantage with a "half" season of experience under his belt. My bet is that he's QB1 next season assuming regular Spring workouts and a full pre-season to iron things out.

I'm genuinely excited about Cardwell, he could be the best RB since Royce to come in.

I feel like once Moorhead actually has the time to fully implement his offense, true dual thread QBs become more important. Tyler, Butterfield, and Millen are more pro-style guys who have the ability to run now and then but they're not dual thread guys, this leaves Robby Ashford and Ty Thompson. I'm going out on a limb and saying that Ashford is the dark horse to win the starting job next season as he's had this truncated one to sit and learn the schemes with the practice team away from the pressure of in game performance.

Given how DeRuyter's defenses have affected UW the last few years, I'm guessing Lake isn't very happy right now.

There are some sources that are saying JTT is now silently committed to Ohio State and they're just waiting on the announcement. Disappointing if that's true.

I was half expecting this as Heyward has been patient in vying for the DC spot. While the coaching switch is a net positive for Oregon, it still sucks to lose him as he's a great safeties coach and a high level recruiter.

It'll take at least a half season to settle into DeRuyter's setup, plus the youth of many players.

I like Redd and am glad he's coming back. However I think he's been underutilized the last couple years, hopefully that changes next season.

And I'll be happy to read it!

If Byron Cardwell commits, he's got the type of frame to bulk up to 220 lbs and be that big powerback we need.

I think it was inevitable since CJ announced he was coming back. There aren't enough carries for 3 RBs and I'm sure CHL was getting tired of being pigeon-holed into a short yardage player. I was kind of hoping CJ would move on as he's just not big enough to stay healthy in the kind of power run that Cristobal craves.

There are some of us who believe losing that weight actually hurt his effectiveness in the middle. He wasn't able to push back on centers nearly as well this season as in the past. I'm not smart enough to predict what kind of defense DeRuyter will implement at Oregon. But given his track record, it's pretty safe to say he'll design one that fits what we have...right now the strength and potential is at linebacker so perhaps 3-4? After his past success with linebackers I'm sure Sewell, Flowe, etc. are very excited for next season.