1 week Ago
The Oregon Ducks competed in their annual spring game on Saturday, April 26, in Autzen Stadium, and Ducks coach Dan Lanning spoke to the media after the scrimmage. Most notably, Lanning shut down any ideas of the Ducks grabbing a transfer linebacker. "We won't pursue anybody in the portal linebacker.
I feel really good about our linebacker group, like the guys we have," said Lanning. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore showed off his arm strength and accuracy, but he also ended the scrimmage with an interception on a hail mary attempt. The Combat Ducks, led by Moore and tight end Kenyon Sadiq, lost to the Fighting Ducks 24-20 Here is everything Lanning said after the game.
Oregon receiver Evan Stewart did not play in the game, but Lanning never clarified any reasoning for Stewart's absence. Opening statement: Crowd was absolutely unbelievable, right? They always show up and show out, really proud of that. A lot to clean up, right? Film wise, right? I know you guys will over critique it, right? You won't critique it harder than us.
That's okay, right? A lot of positives, but certainly some stuff for us to improve. That's why they call it spring game. On quarterback play: Some good, some bad.
It's kind of the same answer you'll get from me a lot. There was some really positive plays. Thought we got in a funk in a little bit the middle.
Started off a little bit hot, operated well in some situations and then some, you know, we could have certainly been better." On defense's and offensive's dominance: "I wouldn't say that, no, there's been some really good back and forth throughout the spring." On wide receiver Dillon Gresham: "Yeah, I would say that Dillon's probably one of our most improved players from this past season to what he's done now.
He continues to make big plays on the field and done a really good job for us. He showed up today. I think we all saw what he's capable of today.
" On Kenyon Sadiq: "Well, I've seen it every day that he's been here, right? It's a guy that's constantly improved. It's worked really, really hard, you know, embrace whatever role he's wearing for the team, and been able to help us since the day he got here. So, I think you saw some opinion what we get to see every single day in practice.
" On Gresham's specific improvement: "Probably biggest piece, knowing going his job, and then, you know, being able to count on when the ball is coming his direction, to come down with it. I thought he made some contested catches today. Made some great plays on the ball.
He's become much better as a returner, and that's just with reps and consistency. But I think he would be the first one to tell you, Hey, I got I got even more room to grow. I got more to even improve, right?" On recruiting and NFL Draft success as a tool: "Proof's in the pudding, right? I mean, you just look at it.
You're setting the program record for guys being able to draft it get drafted in the NFL this year. Every year, our draft picks have gone up since we've been here, and that's really credit to those players that have worked extremely hard get an opportunity to live out their dream. Really excited for them and really grateful for everything they did for Oregon.
" On quarterback Luke Moga: "Every quarterback has a different skill set, you know, and Luke's always been really athletic player, but I think where he's really come on this year is throwing on time, taking what's there. Becoming a complete quarterback from that standpoint. You know, he had some really good moments this spring, and certainly some good moments today.
" On outside linebacker Blake Purchase: "Blake's another one that I would say, you know, great improvements this offseason. He's worked really hard to change his body. He's become really comfortable in the system as far as what his job is and his responsibilities.
He's a complete outside linebacker right now for us, and if you continue to take that same growth in summer, he's gonna be a big impact player for us." MORE: Arizona Cardinals Draft Jordan Burch: 5 Things To Know About 'Dangerous' EDGE MORE: Cleveland Browns Explain Drafting 'Poised' Dillon Gabriel Over Shedeur Sanders MORE: Cleveland Browns Draft 'Winner' Dillon Gabriel Over Shedeur Sanders: Perfect Fit? On young secondary playing in Autzen: "I think it's a great environment for them, right? Like I said, not everybody in the nation gets to play in an environment like that for a spring game. So for them to get some opportunities, some stuff that we can learn from, to go against, you know, some really good wide outs each day.
we talk about iron sharpens, iron, you know, I think we got to see some of that." Offseason's biggest priorities: "One, it's completely different group, right? So I think there's a lot of new experience there. So I think you're going to start with saying, okay, 'What can we operate and what can we execute?' It's not gonna be the same as last season.
And even the season before that, our our number one call on defense, was different than it was this past year, so we'll adapt that to fit our personnel. Biggest thing I want to see is guys out there communicating." "I think we've got to tackle much better than we did today, but when you don't go live tackling every day in spring, you're going to see some of that.
As we get closer to fall camp, I think you'll see that improve, and they're going to get some really good play makers on the other side of the ball. But ultimately, we have to be a team that can stop the run, take the ball away. You saw a away today, show up and make a big play, you know, actually, a couple of takeaways in today's game.
" "But ultimately, assessing this group as an individual group has nothing really to do with last season, right? And there's areas of growth, and there's a lot of stuff that we put in and done differently than we didn't show you today, right? It's not, we're not trying to win the scrimmage, right? We're out there trying to see our guys play football." On linebacker Jerry Mixon: "Jerry's a guy that's worked extremely hard, done an unbelievable job and continues to improve, and when he keeps at his focus, he's really going to be a guy that can help us. But there's a lot of guys in that room that I think can play winning football.
It's just comes with experience. On the linebacker group as a whole: "Really, when you talk about our pillars on defense, we start with relentless efforts. So you gotta have guys are running sideline to sideline.
You know, linebackers, important job is getting everybody else lined up, and that's a really big piece of it, you know." "So, Jeff (Bassa), go to the (Kansas City) Chiefs today. That's a big piece of that.
He was a great communicator, right? So these guys can grow from a communication standpoint, but when they have relentless effort, when they attack the ball, when they play for the guy next to him, those are gonna be separating factors." On redshirted players: "I mean, this program is about growth, right? And you never know exactly what your opportunity will look like and when that'll necessarily come, but you want to be ready for that opportunity. And I think we've seen a lot of guys take big steps, this offseason, but I'm watching the same thing you guys watch.
" "There's a lot of room for improvement on both sides of the ball. So you see a big play, you get really excited about the offense, but then you worry about the defense, right? You see the sack, you get really excited about the defense and then worried about the offense. That's the way these things are supposed to go, right? But ultimately, overall, I feel like we have a group that attacked every day really strove to improve.
" On injured players, red jerseys during spring game: "There's some guys that we we held out, really more out of caution than necessary. Jahlil (Florence) has been a guy that's been able to practice, but has a banged up hand that we wanted to protect, so I didn't want to make him full contact." On next steps: "A lot of pieces, right? Our coaches will be going on the road in May for recruiting.
We'll do some exit meetings with our players, so we can identify new growth areas for us post spring. What are the things that we need to attack, to improve on, you know, continue to develop and get those guys strong in the weight room, and take advantage of that and really attack the classroom as well. So a lot of things going on.
In the summer window we'll have, you know, camps where we can go evaluate guys as well, but a lot of things." On kicker Gage Hurych: "Yeah, it was pretty awesome to see you, right? You know, Gage hit some big kicks and overall special teams, there were some positives. There were some real negatives there too.
So, you know, you asked about linebacker, maybe punter, if there's a punter out there available, right? We've been more consistent. It didn't go today. That was some of the poor kicks that I've seen here.
On the same note, seeing us hit some big field was like that. I don't know what the distances were exactly." On kicking competition with Atticus Sappington: "There's a competition in every position, right? Atticus has been really good for us.
We've done a good job, but Gage is a guy that we are really excited for in the future. He's done a really good job. We've always felt like he was going to be a really good player, and certainly, you know, stepping up the most today.
" On not pursuing a transfer quarterback: "Because I like who we have on our roster. Yeah, I like the guys that we got right and you know, that's always been something you want to create competition at every position. We've utilized the portal at times when we felt like that helped us and enhanced us, had an opportunity to go have success.
Sometimes the portal, it's not all under your control. If there's if you're lower in a certain roster spot, you need to go add guys to make sure that you go out there and practice. Roster limits have changed some of those things.
There's been some other, you know, adjustments, and we'll see how those rules continue to change and shape. But ultimately, I feel good about the guys we have at that position." On receivers coach Ross Douglas, and wide receiver room progress: "I mean, I think every one of those guys is growing and really excited about what what Junior (Adams) had done here in the past, and really excited about what Ross has added to that.
You know, we have a talented group. There's a lot of opportunity sitting there for guys about make plays. And I think I saw some of those guys making plays that haven't necessarily had those opportunities yet today.
" "You know, Dillon was one that you guys mentioned earlier. Saw some big catches from Kyler (Kasper, some some catches for J Mac (Jeremiah McClellan). So there's a lot of guys that were out there, you know, making an impact.
You know, we have young guys and more veteran guys, really, across the board. But I feel really good about that room.".
