Spring football is in the air, and with our Spring Practice Primers the Eye On College Football Blog gets you up to speed on what to look for on campuses around the country this spring. Today we look at Oregon.
Spring practice begins: Tuesday, April 3.
Spring game: Saturday, April 28.
Returning starters: Five on offense, seven on defense and two specialists.
Three Things To Watch For:
1. Battle at quarterback. Who will replace Darron Thomas behind center? That's the storyline for the Ducks this spring as the defending Rose Bowl champs that will likely enter the 2012 season as a highly ranked team once again. Sophomore Bryan Bennett was the primary backup last season and figures to have a slight leg up since he's the only player who's actually played in a college football game and thrown a pass. In limited action the dual-threat impressed with his ability to make things happen when tucking the ball away and was relatively mistake-free play despite his mediocre passing stats. Redshirt freshman Marcus Mariota is a definite threat to take the job however and Oregon likely won't make a quick decision until they see what he's got. Both Mariota and Bennett will split reps right down the middle for most of the spring while early enrollee Jake Rodrigues will be in the mix a little as he is still recovering from a leg injury that ended his senior year.
2. Catch it if you can. There's a lot of wide receivers - 16 at last count - and a lot of question marks to go with each as the offense looks to replace departed Rose Bowl MVP Lavasier Tuinei among others. The position as a whole wasn't anything to write home about last year, struggling with consistency and making a few mental errors at times. Daryle Hawkins, Rahsaan Vaughn and Eric Dungy showed flashes at times and will look for an increased role while speedy slot guys Devon Blackmon and Tacoi Sumler figure to have a chance to contribute quite a bit. Of course phenom De'<player idref= will contribute and tight end Colt Lyerla should fill David Paulson's role quite well.
3. Fresh faces making an impact. Oregon hasn't been shy about playing freshmen in the past and another highly regarded recruiting class helps the program reload this year. Spring brings a few recruits onto campus early, led by five-star defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Given the rotation that the Ducks employ along the line, Armstead figures to be in the mix for plenty of playing time and, at 6-foot-8, 290-pounds, gives the defense a big guy to move around. Rodrigues will definitely get thrown into the fire on offense from a mental standpoint while a few others could wind up with minutes by the time the season starts.
