Haywarduck

The Dana magic continues!

Until then we could capitalize on this by offering any 5* who transfers before halftime the opportunity to pick the second halves uniform combination. Maybe a nike shoe made with their name could be created before the game to entice the elite talent over to our side. We could have the shoe in a box which explodes as the half ends if the player doesn't switch sides by then. We must compete in this new era!

Ryan Walk worked out ok? Somebody thinks they know something about this kid, and I hope they are right.

One thing Oregon could do is make the whole credit transfer easier for student athletes. If you transfer to Oregon your credits transfer more fully and you can graduate. Programs who focus on the student will do better in the end. A kid who wants to graduate is going to be a better teammate, and citizen in the end. It is also what is best for everyone. There will always be the outliers who don't care about graduating and are destined for the NFL, but those aren't the norm. I hope Oregon can differentiate with their facilities and educational opportunities. A shift in the credit transfer rate would help the new normal within college athletics. It does seem like the whole transfer portal NIL is going to leave many with their peak earning behind them, and broke, along with no college education, or credits which add up to anything. Not a great outcome and there needs to some adjustments by the colleges to make the opportunities for positive outcomes more likely.

All the best, best of luck, Go Robbie!

I suppose the high school kids sign Feb. 2nd, but then you have the JTT types who wait. Then there is the portal, but is there a limit on when that stops. It seems like the whole roster game is musical chairs until, I don't really know anymore. Does anyone have a take on when rosters fill up and the transfer portal is effectively closed? Until the music stops I don't know if I can really pay too much attention, it's making me sick!

I am left wondering why we haven't ever really had an elite NFL receiver come through Oregon. We have had elite O-lineman, elite QB's multiple times and definitely elite RB's, but zip on the WR's. Why wouldn't a top receiver want to be part of that dynamic? I love the money being put toward defensive coaching, but the wideouts need to be a priority for us to get over the hump on winning it all. Bobby Moore was elite, but seldom have we seen greatness at receiver.

You can go by the recruiting services and who they say you should recruit, or do the leg work required to develop your own lists. I think it is incredibly important to talk to the coaches who see the players, and better know their potential. It is potential in almost every recruit which counts. There are certainly 5* players who have abilities some players will never reach. There are also heights no one knows a player will reach without really doing the hard work. It sounds like this is why Don Johnson is so good. He doesn't just set up contact with top recruits from recruiting services. He pounds the pavement and gets to know where the hidden gems are and starts the work on those guys. That is what makes the Oregon's great. We aren't going to always be able to pull the elite talent, but we can pull in the elite potential with the right effort.

Thanks for the complements, and I think, too often, we try to be, or look prescient. We try and think we know what is going to happen, or know more than others. What is most important is to be present and understand what is happening. You do a great job of reflecting on this, and really highlighting that impact on yourself and the college game. I completely agree the job of college athletics is to better prepare our youth to do great things, most often off the field of play they are involved in at college. The whole NIL and even the portal is shifting the ability of programs to do that for the student athlete and that is sad. Fortunately our program is able to compete on this platform and move toward the ultimate goal for the alumni and the athlete's, to win it all. Unfortunately we are also part of this shift away from what is most important, the student in the athlete. We aren't able to teach them the lesson most important, as well was possible in the past. I suppose the golden age is always in the past. I too am off to the gym. Hopefully I can better clear my mind of this element. There seems to be so much out there which I can put my mental energy towards and have a better return. In the end I will be back, but I too question the college game even more than ever. It is fun to get philosophical while talking about a game!

All the best to DJ James going forward!

As somebody who is more interested in the culture of a championship team than the star players Rudy has always pulled at me. Every great team has the extra stuff few players bring to a program, and even fewer coaches instill into programs. There is an edge that is hard to define. Rudy begins to define that edge and the difference between very good teams and great teams. This edge was why we would have lost 9 out of 10 or more to Utah. This years team didn't have that edge, and that is what I want to see with a Lanning team. What blows me away about the old Duck teams is how good they were, compared to the skill level at every position. We didn't have a loaded team with NFL talent, just the effort, expectations instilled by Bellotti and CK to beat the team across the line of scrimmage on every down. Can Dan Lanning create that culture again where everyone exceeds his potential both individually and as a team. Winning in recruiting is only one step toward that goal.

The percentage of college student, general population, who transfer during their time at college is about 30%. With the transfer portal the student athletes are just better reflecting the general population. Much like those who came to college with a girl friend, how many are still in that relationship? With coaches changing and new recruits coming in it is surprising more don't, look elsewhere. This is why it is so critical to make Oregon the most appealing school in the nation to play football at. If you build it they will come, and stay. One item was watching NFL games it was pretty telling the schools the starters came from, mostly SEC. We need to get kids into the NFL at a better clip, or they will just come for the show, and leave for the opportunity to make the show. We need to compete at the highest level and show we can better get the student athletes to the next level.

I think they might be the third best team in the state of Washington. The thing about the dawg program is they are becoming much like a Monty Python movie, laughable.

This is why it is critical the school, Oregon is as attractive as possible. There will always be slick salesman who can sway a young student athlete. The school and opportunities at the program should draw the student athlete. You also have to make the sure the program aligns with what the student athlete is sold. Bru McCoy always dreamed of going to sc, but the school never really added up to his fantasy, the same could be said of some of our student athletes. The job of the coach, and program is to make the dreams of the players come true, if they work hard and persevere. At Oregon the program makes it as easy as possible for those dreams to come true for coach and student athlete. That is the magic of the Oregon Football Program. I will add as long as we keep making student athletes and coaches successful our formula will continue to outperform other programs. Most programs look for coaches to be their saviors. They also can be hyper critical of the student athlete who doesn't live up to the hype. We need to keep more than an arms length from that type of thinking. If a student athlete wants to go to another program, best of luck. Hopefully we have someone else doing an even better job this student athlete doesn't want to compete against. If a coach wants to leave, congrats on the success. Hopefully you have moved to a better position and we will reload.

I think this is a perceived idea, not necessarily valid. There is no question Mario is a hard worker, but it takes two ingredients to be a productive worker. You have to work hard and smart. Now Chip had the smart thing down, massive reps, whole practice scripted. Mario's team never felt like they would out execute other teams. There are a lot of coaches who work extremely hard. I would give Lanning the edge on this one after watching what he did while DC of the National Champs and running the Oregon Program from Georgia. The guy knows how to be productive, not just sound productive, and busy. I am reminded of a friends dad who worked at Boeing as an engineer for a while. He said he walked around with a clipboard, always carried a clipboard and everyone thought he was the most productive guy in his department. He left, and started his own successful company because that was one of the prerequisites, just look busy. Mario has the look, and sound busy thing down pat. That and the kitchen table talk, the guy can flat out recruit!

I am not going to make you eat that hat, but some didn't think Justin was all that good after a few years with Mario. I do think he has met his limits, but strangers things have happened.

Pretty sure one of these was filled up from what was coming out of that press conference.

It is interesting we used to have some pretty good TE who seldom caught balls, but were successful in the NFL, Dontae Rosario is probably the best example. Under Mario we seem to have had a whole passing game which didn't allow the talent to showcase itself, from Justin to AB, to the recent talent at WR. I think I was the first to speculate AB may have a career in the NFL and wouldn't that be interesting! Was Mario's mantra, just get the yardage, and don't throw unless you have too? I can agree AB didn't look like an NFL talent while at Oregon.

With Horace Bru McCoy, short for Bruiser, there would definitely have to be some due diligence done before any transfer. This would also seem to set up a test of Lanning's ability to manage questionable character type student athletes. It would also open the door to more reform type candidates, is that a component of the program Lanning is building? Bru is definitely an interesting candidate, 5* ability, to take our passing game to the next level. The guy will be a 22 year old redshirt sophomore. I would imagine there are enough guys on the team who have a pretty good take on the guy. Due diligence and talking to the team would seem to be prudent with this decision, to entertain the idea at least.

The only problem is his passion for blocking shots is illegal in the NFL. A player can't jump up and block a field goal barely making it over the goal post, little known fact for the day.

Dana's coaching and developing a team is like clockwork. He has them on a winning streak, and coming together as a team as the season enters the new year. The only thing we don't know is how good they will turn out to be as the season progresses. I wouldn't count this team out from making a decent run. With their bigs it could be an interesting one. I do remember watching Jordan Kent play basketball and wondering what he could do on the football field, he was just too fast for the court, with good hands. Watching Franck Kepnang and the way he likes contact makes me wonder how he would be as a Tight End. At the goal line or on 3rd down the guy would be unstoppable at 6" 11'. A little out of the box thinking, but basketball players have done very well as tight ends in the past. How about a Dana to Dan assist? It would show Oregon is willing to have athletes play two sports and support that endeavor. JTT at tosu seems to have backed off that idea.

The COL and the QOL don't add up, in my opinion. Good for Chip, be a pain to sc for us!

And now we know why Dan came, wanted to be number 1. He won it all, now he has it all, well done!

And so the Lanning bus is tuned up and rolling, this is news we can begin to sink our teeth into. It would be nice to hear about the latest Winston student athlete being back in the fold. Oregon needs to bring the home state products to Eugene. We have a cali flock, will we begin to see a southern flock, maybe a peach flock beginning to nest within the program?

Welcome to the big stage, KT, the lessons will be many and hard. He would be well advised to get some training on how to interact as his draft status is at stake. Everything is weighted when a team is deciding who to pick. Somebody who won't be welcomed in a locker room isn't as big an asset as someone who is. The top pick, last year made $6 million, the tenth pick 3 million. Each drop down the draft ladder costs you a big of coin, some peoples life savings.