David Marsh

Yes... but they would be a walk-on in status. However, the liklihood a player who would get NIL money would be a walk-on is rather low. Then if they are that good they are going to be getting a scholarship from their own school so that they don't lose them. But yes... it is theoretically possible for a walk-on to get NIL money for them to live off of.

I didn't even have time to discuss the back channeling going on with the Portal right now. Which is also a huge concern for coaches and programs alike. There is absolutely a ton of risk for anyone who uses the portal and that in itself is fair but I guess is there too much risk for some players who enter it? Should there be a window where a player can enter but not surrender their current scholarship? That is a tough question because if a player wants to leave a team for better opportunities then there is a sense that their team would like nothing to do with them.

I'd take Ubren Myer over Gruden.

I heard that UCLA has offered chip an extension now. Probably a good amount of the smoke today was made to get UCLA to to work to get an extension out for Kelly. I'll try and find the tweet/link ... But that also makes a lot of sense.

In January it's down to 0... But we can't wait till then. There won't be a recruiting class or much if a team left.

The 9 mil buyout would be insane for an OC.

At this point... Not sure how much I trust from anyone. Especially outside of the Oregon circle of reporters. If we do hire Kelly I can feel my enthusiasm for the program dropping. Nothing like retreading the past to make you feel like a lack of progress.

Actually... now that I am thinking about it, I think the sign that Oregon is interviewing Wilcox and Kelly today means the process is almost over. Oregon knows Kelly and his limitations at this point. Wilcox is young and may be a good coach for Oregon down the road but Uncle Phil doesn't have time to waste waiting on Wilcox. So why is Oregon interviewing these two? Well... I am guessing like everything else... but it feels to me that these two interviews may have been potentially so late in the process because they weren't considering them for the job. However, not interviewing them burns a bridge that just isn't worth doing. Interview them, hear them out, and then make the hire. Or... everyone involved in the hiring process is incompetent and they are the only choices left... but I don't think that is the case right now. If we are still at the same point a week from now then I'll change my tune on that one.

You can get good players for the transfer portal... occasionally there is even a great player. But most of them are players looking for more playing time at another school. There are very few top tier players in the transfer portal because they play at their college which they are a starter and then make the jump to the NFL. Again not all transfer portal players are bad but to get the best potential players out there you have to recruit and then land top tier players out of high school.

Kelly would be a fine coach for Oregon now... but he will not bring us to the promised land. Chip has shown at every coaching stop that he wants to be comfortable with his staff and he will opt for the familiar rather than push the envelope and find some stronger hires. Also Kelly hates recruiting... that is what makes him undesirable in my book. We need someone who can recruit. The last time Kelly struck gold and made Oregon such a hot brand that it recruited itself... even then he didn't bring in top 10 classes (depending on the recruiting service he had 1) he brought in top 15 classes and made the most out of 3 star recruits. We sniffed at the National Championship but didn't reach it. This time around I see a Kelly run Oregon making the Pac-12 Championship game every few years and some Rose Bowls... I don't see him wanting to recruit hard enough to get us to the National Championship.

I think fans would completely lose it if Hoke was hired for any position. He is wrong for any job at Oregon. There might have been a recruit in Eugene he is interested in which is why he might have been in Eugene. Sheldon High School does produce some good talent in the state but not inherently good enough for power-five.

Can't wait on this hire... its the nature of the new coaching carousel. There will be lots of potential candidates for any number of reasons in a month. But the early signing period is next week and so far Oregon has done well in only losing 4 commitments, I was expecting a flood here. Also Oregon hasn't lost anyone to the transfer portal, YET! However, it is only a matter of time until the flood gates open and the only way to stop that is to get the new HC in soon.

Not burning a bridge with Wilcox. Wilcox is NOT the right coach at this time in my personal opinion but in 5 or 10 years he may be. Wilcox, Kelly and Sitake are all good coaches and will do fine at Oregon right now. The problem with all of them is that they will get Oregon to a Pac-12 Championship game and a Rose Bowl often enough for us not to fully hate them but not get us a National Championship. They would be good... but not great. Oregon is in the market right now for great.

And Kirby Smart, Mel Tucker, Jimbo Fisher, and many others.

Post Bama Kiffin is a different coach. Nick Saban's coaching rehabilitation clinic is pretty good.

These days I just feel confused about everything... so... is being confused deja vu? If so... then yes.

Also.. he doesn't want to recruit. Recruiting is probably 80% of the job these days. You have to love recruiting.

If they win a national title the likelihood of them leaving goes down. No one wants just one national title to their name... And why rebuild if you have what you want at your current location. Not to say it is impossible and won't happen, but it tends to be less likely.

Partly also because Utah knew that Brown doesn't make his reads terribly fast, tends to be blind across the middle of the field and usually won't throw a route down the middle and when he does it feels like it is over thrown or intercepted. So Utah really did just sell out to stop the run and Brown couldn't start a passing attack to make them respect the passing game to get the run game going.

First... If Oregon hires Lane Kiffin it would make me look really smart... I have been telling anyone who would listen that I think for what Oregon wants right now it is Kiffin. What Oregon wants right now. 1. Splashy enough to save the recruiting class and the roster 2. Restore the offense... we need an offense that can bury people in points again! No more winning by 7 on a regular basis. 3. Can recruit top quality talent... recruiting to Oregon is doable but it isn't always easy need someone who can get the talent we need. Kiffin is a better and different coach post-Alabama so I don't have concerns in that regard. Kiffin screams gun for hire... he does and that is really how he has played out his career to date. But here's the thing about Kiffin and his loyalty or lack there of... We lost Taggart and Cristobal to their "dream jobs" and guess what... Kiffin already had his dream job and was fired at USC. So don't need to worry about that coming back to haunt us because it would the a shocker if Kiffin is even interested in USC ever again after that. Cristobal left for Miami who had to pay a 9 million dollar buy out to get him... that is a pretty steep buy out. Any other school wouldn't have gotten MC because the only school he was leaving Oregon for was Miami and even then I was not so sure until I heard about his mother's frail health. Won't he just leave Oregon for a better place? Well... there are two ways to ensure loyalty or whatever passes for loyalty these days. 1. Pay him enough to keep him... which should be doable if he actually wants to the job. 2. Kiffin gets us what we want... a National Championship. You know why no one is calling Saban for a coaching hire... well money for starters he is too expensive but that is something that could theoretically be overcome by the right buyer... the second reason is why would Saban leave Alabama to build a program anywhere else? He has a program built to win championships so he has what he wants because he built it. Kiffin would fill all the four needs of Oregon... yes, including the loyalty factor if he brings us to the promised land which is what we all want.

I found that Jim Mora's Bruins were always Oregon Lite... they kinda looked like Oregon but were no where close to as good. I'd take Kelly or Helfrich over Mora... and I don't particularly want either of those former Ducks back as the head coach.

I think he was upset by the lack of normal protocol in the process. From the sound of it Mullens and Phil were ready for if this happened. I think it is Mullens vocalizing the breaking of the norm of contacting the athletic department.

I'm just hoping this is an interview they feel they have to do but don't have any real interest. I feel like I'm being a coach snob at this point but this hire needs to be right and needs to come soon.

Not really liking Sitake as a candidate... BYU is a completely different beast from Oregon. Mormon missions change the average age of the players which makes for a different team make up. Yes BYU beat 5 Pac-12 teams this last year but I don't think he's a cultural fit for Oregon and I feel like many candidates proposed... He'd be good at Oregon but good is playing for the occasional Rose Bowl not the Playoff.

Mormon population... lots of Utah's (and BYU's) players go on missions for two years. When they return they are two years older. I mean Britain Covey is 24 years old and has eligibility remaining (partially due to a medical redshirt). An older player is going to be more adult in their body which means they will be bigger. Even with all the star power Oregon has from recruits it is difficult for an 18 year old in an 18 year old's body to be as developed as a 22 or 23 year old. Oregon has better athletes but Utah has older players... few freshman have adult bodies... Noah Sewell is rare in that regard. Even KT has a freshman wasn't as developed as he is now three years later.