Haywarduck

It ain't done until Duce is signed. I wonder where that would put this class! And in this day and age, it isn't ever over for the coaches and support staff.

Nothing against the guy, but if he does well, the already white hot Oregon OC position will be a first stop for another program looking for the next great head coach way too quick. I want the guy to struggle, and our new OC to give us a few years. He is a good guy, but there are stronger programs, and more experienced coaches out there who will, likely, make him look like a first year coach with a bunch of new guys. What Lanning did, and continues to do, shouldn't be under appreciated. A first year coach of a struggling program probably won't light it up too quick.

I like the focus Lanning has with these talented athletes too. No longer are we just bringing in talent with the mantra of filling the sleaves, but fulfilling the potential. I look for even more talent, and even better outcomes for all, the students, the coaches, and the fans! Go Ducks!

Takes some time off coach, but we need a Duce visit. Duce would fill a need, want, and vault this class through the roof! I have no doubt Coach and his staff are on it!

Feels right with what Roderick wants out of our University. It seems football is number one, and track is frosting on the cake. He also has academics on his priority list which important. Seemed like Harbor had three things which were a priority. I wish him well, but that will be a hard thing to pull off. I suppose it was 4 things, but oh well. It also looks like he could line up out wide and cause a defense problems when we need him. Almost seems like a DAT type of player on returns. It is nice he is focused on defense where he looks like a gamer, closer!

I agree with Charles, and will also say if Oregon figures out how to build an elite SEC type program everything else will take care of itself. The problem with almost every program is they don't have the depth Georgia and Alabama has. You might get to the playoffs, but you can't compete with the depth, it's not the talent. Once the playoffs begin it will all come down to how much depth do you have. Can Oregon build a program where we have two, three deep who can compete? If we can do this then the money and all the problems will go away. If we think going to another conference is going to solve our problems we are fooling ourselves. Our goal should be to win a national title. To do that it will take a top coach, but more importantly the depth it looks like Lanning is building so we can compete in the playoffs, not just some conference based thousands of miles away.

One thing Deboer brought to dawgtown was a pretty complete coaching staff. That continuity's impact on a team can't be overestimated. Losing your trusted OC would be a blow to a system. I just hope they don't lose their DC too!

I will be shocked, pleasantly surprised, and elevate Lanning to an even loftier status if Harbor decides to come to Oregon. I do wish him the best wherever he goes, seems like an amazing young man. I will say after flying half way around the world and back recently, the flight alone will weigh on the decision.

Love the hire, a young guy with talent, and a lot to prove. Another item which will be interesting to see is how aggressive he is, and how loose a leash Lanning has on the guy. Will we see as aggressive 4th down calls, or will having a punter, instead of 3 make us more strategic? Also what trick plays will Stein have up his sleeve? Lastly how good will he be at qb development, and will Ty and the new guy better thrive under Stein? Our future will hinge on the guy after Nix, and we need to see somebody ready to step in for a series, or even a game.

I just hope this was a unique event, and he doesn't have a larger problem. The young man was in a pressure cooker leading Georgia to a National Title. The NFL is still possible, but he needs to take care of himself first. His story is a good one. I hope it continues to be a good one going forward, no matter where it leads.

I can hear Justin, 'I don't care about how big the contract is, sell me on your plan to win. When you convince me how you're going to win, then we can talk about a longterm contract, and the zeros.' Who knows he may not sign a longterm deal and just get his contract extended, still make about $30 million. This way he keeps his options open. A 10 year contract on a losing team while getting thrashed doesn't sound like a good idea.

Successful Hurricane OC interview......

Another item is as a two sport 5* athlete who compares in the recent past? Remember JTT, wanted to play football, and play basketball? JTT is only playing football, and seems to have dropped the basketball dream. It will be interesting to see what this young man actually does after enrolling at his chosen school. There is so much money in sports right now that focusing on athletics, one sport, may be his smartest move. Keep the academics up, but how much can a student athlete do while juggling D1 sports? One item is the academic support at Oregon is second to none. This might be another hidden selling point. Any pics of Harbor at the Jaqua Center? The young man is being sold opportunities, but what is realistic? If he pulls off T&fricken, Football, and high level academics it will take a plan that is actionable. He has to have goals that are realistic, and a plan that is workable. I suppose recruits are just being sold opportunities at this point.

Love the pic of slick looking at his watch, no words needed. I just love pictures that speak for themselves, and the obvious backstory of the choice by somebody with wit and a sense of humor! The choice of the picture of MariØ looking at his wrist and not having a watch might have also been a savvy choice too. I do think the fact Lanning is the only guy in the top 5 who came into the job as an outsider, never been an assistant at Oregon, needs to be appreciated. Not only had Lanning never been a head coach, he had nobody who had ties to the program coaching for him. Every other top rated coach came into the job with momentum, and at least a foundation of coaches to help. Lanning took over talent, but a team which had lost 3-4 games, and was in disarray. The direction of the program is forward, and led by one guy, Coach Lanning.

Just the kind of scenario Altman thrives in. Now does this team have the character to rise up to Altman's ability to lead, worth watching to see. Go Ducks!

It comes down to too many variables, (track, academics, football) and too many player's in the decision process to be able to make a decent prediction. I will say the mom, and the girlfriend may be the silent power players. Rational calculations should be thrown out the door. If Oregon comes into play it will be a huge Nike opportunity. Nike has promoted Bo, the other Bo, and Michael along with Tiger like no other brand. If Nike pitches Harbor with Oregon that could be the clincher for us.

That should fix everything, problem solved! Yea.........

I think it is time to realize the youth basketball development programs are good at advancing and identifying talent, but aren't serving college basketball well. Much like going to the bar to find your next wife, plenty of talent, but the players are there for the wrong reasons. If you're really trying to build something meaningful find out who is working on their game in pickup games, and at their local gym. Who still loves the game and wants to be part of a team, and who just looks good, but will end up just causing you a headache, while providing little meaningful outcomes.

One piece at a time, building that, D

Who is calling the defense, well if it was Lanning then there were problems. I would say it was Lanning too many times, and not enough. When you have two DC's and the Head Coach has to step in, there are issues. Excuses can be made, but we now have the guys we want, and another shot at a functional coaching staff. The only problem is some of the guys are young, but we should have enough buy-in. We just might not see the complete defense we want. It takes time and we still need on field leadership. That will be critical, somebody on the field as the general, or leaders. Last season I would say there were coaching issues on and off the field with the defense. The defense didn't perform and the athletes didn't improve. When you have a 5* getting more bench time as the season progresses, and then he transfers, there were issues. This season I want to see all guys improve, and the defensive coaching staff hummmmm. We shouldn't have to put guys on the field who can't perform. We also shouldn't have coaches on the sideline who can't develop, and run a defense gametime. I look for progress in player development and coaching development. Great ponder point Mr. Marsh, hopefully the guys getting paid for it are calling the plays this season. I also hope Lanning can just do his job, and smile while thinking about how he can incrementally improve all aspects, not take over anything.

Nobody does it better, I mean you Pennsylvania Duck! ;)!!!!!

A Brock Purdy beat Tyler Shough over and over, but Tyler is rated higher. Maybe you watch the tape and see what the kid brings to the field. I suppose it is easy to just ask the pundits what the measurables are? I hope we have recruited another qb who may not have all the measurables, but knows how to lead and win. Some can see the game, and it all slows down for them. We need to get back to recruiting all the traits of a winner, not just the measurables. I have confidence Lanning will bring that back.

Would be nice to see him be the foundation of the class. More likely this will just be his first soundbite, social media promotion, and a blip reflecting recruiting in the modern age.

I would add there players who are accelerants, those who are neutral, and then those who are decelerants to the culture and energy a team has. We want players who are accelerants to the culture Lanning is trying to create. Lanning is all about getting 1% better everyday. Some players look incredibly good, but they aren't willing to work on their weaknesses. They also aren't there when you need that extra effort. They have to be willing to say, after failure, so what, now what. I would say this mentality wasn't on the defensive side of the ball enough. I think this is another component of the Oregon Football Program I want to see thrive again. We don't blow leads, we finish games, and our players give everything to each other and the program they are able to. If you want an example of what we did wrong, the recruitment of Tyler Shough is the perfect example. We went after the player who looked great, had the measurables, but was more of a statue. The guy who beat him every time in high school, Brock Purdy, didn't measure up, but would have in the past. We need to recruit the Purdy's, who cares what the pundits thinks!

I hope Cam surprises some people while down at South Beach. The young man deserves some luck and maybe the warm weather will help. I will be rooting for him to make all conference, and move on to the NFL!