Charles Fischer

We need a Nose Tackle, and he is more of a defensive tackle. I also would wonder about him in the locker room--does he have an attitude to learn and be hungry? Or is he entitled? (This would be his third school)

I don't know...as we lost at Portland last year 10-9, and lost at home to Niagara University 8-5 in our Super-Regional year? Freund pitched great last week at Portland, and I know that everyone has a bad day...but I acknowledge that we also have a ton of experienced pitchers from last year who are injured. Thus we are breaking in a new batch again with mixed results.

My poor Duckies. Eight runs scored is more than enough to win with, but our pitchers...had a bad night. Starter Michael Freund (3-1) was shelled for seven runs...in the first inning. Our relievers added to the misery at PK Park. Hard to watch, hard to believe...whew! Things weren't right tonight... Gotta keep your sense of humor.

Well, if you are going for a ’Natty…

Gonna be a bidding war!

Jon Joseph brought this to light in another post...this is an elite running back, along the lines of Bucky. Do you want him? Would this destroy the RB room?

Of course you will...."only the good die young."

Martinez is another Bucky....he is pretty good.

Dano will go anywhere to improve the coaching staff, and take from anyone...including probably his best coaching buddy!

The official press release below offers more information...and is interesting. Assistant HC? Jumping past a ton of veteran coaches on the staff? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon football head coach Dan Lanning officially announced the hiring of Ra'Shaad Samples as the Ducks' new assistant head coach and running backs coach on Tuesday. Samples joins the Ducks after spending the 2023 season as the wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator at Arizona State. He was the running backs coach for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022, after being hired as the youngest position coach in the NFL. Still just 29 years old, Samples will be an FBS assistant head coach for the third time in his career. He spent time as the assistant head coach and running backs coach at TCU in 2021 before joining the Rams, following three seasons at SMU. He began at SMU in 2019 as an offensive assistant with an emphasis on recruiting, and was elevated to running backs coach and recruiting coordinator before being promoted to assistant head coach. "We are thrilled to be able to add a coach of Ra'Shaad's caliber to our program," Lanning said. "Coach Samples is one of the brightest young coaches in all of football, and it is easy to see why he has had such a rapid rise through the coaching ranks. He is a dynamic personality who will bring out the very best in our student-athletes both on and off the field, and he will recruit relentlessly to bring the best young men we can find to our program." "I am excited to see the impact Ra'Shaad has on our players' development as we continue to build upon the storied history of running backs here at Oregon." A former receiver, Samples spent 2013 and 2014 at Oklahoma State before transferring to Houston for 2015 and 2016. He joined Houston's staff as an offensive assistant for 2016 and 2017 after dealing with injuries, and then went to Texas as an offensive assistant and on-campus recruiting coordinator in 2018. While at Texas, Samples worked with current Oregon tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, who was the Longhorns' receivers coach at the time. "First, I want to thank Kenny Dillingham and the opportunity he gave me at Arizona state," Samples said. "He played a big part in my growth but I am tremendously excited and grateful join Dan Lanning and his highly regarded staff at Oregon. The chance to learn from some of the best minds in football is invaluable. I am looking forward to adding value and becoming a part of the championship culture Oregon is continuously building on." While at Arizona State, Samples oversaw the development of receiver Elijhah Badger, who was an all-Pac-12 honorable mention selection in 2023 after racking up 65 receptions for 713 and three touchdowns. Upon being hired by the Rams as the NFL's youngest position coach, Samples was instrumental in the evaluation, draft selection and development of running back Kyren Williams, who went on to make the Pro Bowl in his second season after rushing for 1,144 yards. In his stint at TCU, Samples played a key role in the signing of Emani Bailey, who went on to rush for 1,209 yards on 223 carries in the 2023 season. Samples developed a relationship as one of the nation's elite recruiters while at SMU, where he received a promotion each year on his way to being named assistant head coach. The Mustangs' 2021 recruiting class was the highest-ranked in program history, and Samples finished as the No. 1 recruiter in the conference (247Sports) after the December Signing Day period. During the 2020 season, Samples was listed among 247Sports' 30-under 30 list and was on Dave Campbell's 40-under-40 list in 2021. He mentored Ulysses Bentley IV to FWAA Freshman all-America honors and AAC Rookie of the Year honors, after he led the league with 913 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 10 games. In his first season at SMU, Samples coached FWAA second-team all-American and first-team all-AAC selection James Proche to a nation-leading 111 receptions for 1,225 yards and 15 receiving touchdowns. Proche was selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. A native of Dallas, Texas, Samples caught 62 passes for 1,072 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior while playing for his father, Reginald Samples, at Skyline High School. He also had 65 catches for 1,369 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, and would go on to be a consensus four-star prospect and a top-20 receiving prospect in the nation.

I like your observations Ryan, and for me--it is so hard to predict. I do agree with most on the forum, in that he has to end up in the right place that matches up well with him. We wish him the very best!

Wish I had a reaction icon for....

But wait....isn't Dan Lanning a Defensive Coach? Not here! He wants it all on both defense AND offense!

I will have some analysis and update Baseball stuff later this week. Some very interesting developments from this last weekend, and the weekend before. I keep an eye on D1 Baseball, and their No. 18 ranking has me excited for Our Beloved Ducks. As you look at their top-25...how many teams are in the 2025 B1G? Only Oregon and Nebraska! We will be the BIG DUCK in that cold-weather pond, and can kick-butt. (But we are off to a good start in the last year of the Pac-12) D1Baseball Top 25: Ducks, Cajuns, Pokes leap into rankings • D1Baseball D1BASEBALL.COM The top five remains the same, led by No. 1 Arkansas, but there is plenty of upheaval elsewhere in the D1Baseball Top 25, which features three new teams in the rankings.

Just the beginning BABY!

Wow. I DARE anyone to read the article below and NOT get excited! Evan Stewart makes strong impression during his first week of Oregon practice 247SPORTS.COM Texas A&M wide receiver transfer Evan Stewart has shown flashes of his 5-star talents during his first week with the Oregon Ducks. Are you sure now about your pick Alex? (What great choices to have!)

There have been rumblings about him....speed concerns, and other concerns on other sites. Once in a while a player may have a better chance at playing for the Hated Huskies, or the Bastard Beavers and with Dan Lanning's incredible recruiting nationally--that will get even better being in the B1G...I say this is a reasonable negative that can occur. Or I trust Lanning with his analysis, that perhaps the player is not what others think. Or I realize that this is a sophomore in High School, and a lot can happen over the nearly two years before signing day...if the player is really good.

Alex, I think you make a great pick, as his interviews recently indicate a real passion for improving across the board. Dan Lanning has guaranteed a great receiving corps this year. Why? Because of all the depth he builds at all positions, and WR is now loaded. Think of it...we typically have three wide receivers on the field at a time, and we have veterans in Holden, Tez Johnson, and Gary Bryant. (Who I believe is due for a break-out) But when you add transfer Evan Stewart and freshman Jurrion Dickey...and I would bet that a true freshman will emerge in either Jerimiah McClellan or Ryan Pellum....you have more talent than positions. Whoever is starting is going to be pushed by someone really good, and frankly--it feels that one of first four I mentioned is not going to be starting, and will be torqued. Thus he will work hard and push for playing time. Too many times in the past we had a great player at a position who was NOT pushed by additional talent at that position. But now...Lanning is actually pulling it off, and loading up talent at every position to assure success with that position group. This receiver group is starting to look like the talented and deep corps of 2014... Evan Stewart

I'm sure a few of you wonder that, and first of all, it is not always yours-truly doing it, although I am the guilty party a good bit of the time. Why? To make it easier on the readers...is the short answer. Readers want to know what they are opening in a thread, or they won't open the thread if they do not know the topic or are unsure of it. Web behavior studies have confirmed this, so if someone posts a lame title that tells us very little--one of us on the staff will improve it to help our readers. (Or nobody will read it) And we add some sizzle to the title to attract Google searches, and thus new readers. Sizzle is what makes people want to open the thread, and you cannot do bait-and-switch on the readers. The sizzle must be accurate about the topic of the post, as that is what builds trust by the readers in our forum. It is an acquired skill, to tell us in the title what the thread is about, AND to create some sizzle in the title. Make it easy on us, and do your best...and please keep posting!

Oh geez. Of course you cannot change your base speed, as either you are fast or not...but you can improve your first step quickness and acceleration with better running technique and emphasis. What do you think WRs and DBs are doing prior to the NFL Combines? You can lower your 40 yard dash time, from typical to above average, for example. How do I know? Because as a offensive lineman in the summer of 1973....I did specific sprint and weight workouts to improve my speed in order to help make downfield blocks in the upcoming season. It worked, even back then. Was it dramatic? No, as I went from slow, to not-as-slow...and that was enough to get me in position on a number runs that created explosion plays and helped us win. And that was in 1973? So yeah...I imagine they have ways to coach them up a little faster 50 years later. How to Get Faster: Four Simple Rules for Training Speed (Plus Two Speed Workouts) - Therapy Partners Group THERAPYPARTNERSGROUP.COM The two fastest teams in the NFL last season were the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. They also happened to be the top two teams in the NFL, meeting each other in the... 10 Drills for Improving Speed — Raymer Strength & Rehab RAYMERSTRENGTH.COM Looking for ways to help your athletes to improve their speed? Learn some beginner rules of thumb and 10 drills that take little-to-no equipment. My apologies for my 'tude, but at times...it feels like people want someone else to do all the work for them, and frankly--my plate is full.

This is like Lincoln Riley leaving Oklahoma before things caught up with him, and he would be eventually shown the door. Strike for your biggest contract while you still have the cachet, and the going is good... From one SEC team to another? Should be some interesting games later...