Three Observations From Practice Three
03/13/19 | Football
The buildup towards the first padded practice of the spring continued on Wednesday as Oregon wrapped up its third of 15 opportunities in the spring. The Ducks were in shells (helmet and shoulder pads) on Wednesday inside the Moshofsky Center.
DYE AND THE INSIDE LINEBACKER GROUP ARE MOTIVATED
One of Boise State's all-time leading tacklers as a linebacker, Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos's defenses are known for allowing linebackers to make plays. Fortunately, the Ducks return one of the nation's best linebackers in Troy Dye, who enters his senior season third among active FBS players with 313 tackles.
Dye has the look of a player who is motivated to make the 2019 season his best yet, but it's not because of the personal accolades that are within his reach.
"I've never been an individual person. My parents raised me to be a team player," Dye said. "I wanted to come back and bring a Pac-12 title to Oregon and reassert our dominance in the Pac."
Dye has been a mainstay in the starting lineup in each of his three seasons, but the inside backer position alongside him has had many suitors over that same span. This spring, the Ducks appear to have depth that is young, athletic and, most importantly, competitive.
"I told all of these guys they had a clean slate and I'm evaluating everything," said new linebackers coach Ken Wilson. "I've watched these guys when we scouted them and I'm giving them a clean slate. Let them play, compete and earn jobs. If a guy was down on the bottom of the depth chart last year it doesn't matter to me or if they were on the top it doesn't matter. With me, if I can trust them I'll put them on the field. I'm excited. There's a lot of good athletes out there."
BIG BOY BATTLE
One of the best matchups to watch during the team periods has been early enrollee Kayvon Thibodeaux against Steven Jones at right tackle. Jones has slimmed down to 350 pounds after a solid freshman season that saw him start at left tackle at Utah. The two had some good battles throughout the day on Wednesday as they both primarily worked with the second team. Thibodeaux used his speed and athleticism to beat Jones for a would-be sack late in practice. A few plays later against the No. 1 offense, Thibodeaux got into a running lane that opened up and forced a fumble that was picked up by the defense. Thibodeux has a long way to go – he has acknowledged this on twitter by thanking the offensive line – but you can see the flashes of talent that made him the ESPN's No. 1 player in the 2019 class.
FELIX IS BACK
With CJ Verdell limited on Wednesday, sophomore Darrian Felix split first team reps with Travis Dye and displayed some of the explosiveness that got him onto the field as a true freshman in 2017. Felix missed a majority of the 2018 season with a foot injury, but through the first three days of spring looks to have fresh legs and the burst he arrived on campus with. He provided the big play of the day on offense, taking a screen pass at least 50 yards and arguably for a touchdown on a perfectly timed and executed play. Verdell and Dye were one of five Power 5 duos with over 700 rushing yards each in 2018, and adding Felix to the every-down back pool gives Oregon a lot of depth.
DYE AND THE INSIDE LINEBACKER GROUP ARE MOTIVATED
One of Boise State's all-time leading tacklers as a linebacker, Oregon defensive coordinator Andy Avalos's defenses are known for allowing linebackers to make plays. Fortunately, the Ducks return one of the nation's best linebackers in Troy Dye, who enters his senior season third among active FBS players with 313 tackles.
Dye has the look of a player who is motivated to make the 2019 season his best yet, but it's not because of the personal accolades that are within his reach.
"I've never been an individual person. My parents raised me to be a team player," Dye said. "I wanted to come back and bring a Pac-12 title to Oregon and reassert our dominance in the Pac."
Dye has been a mainstay in the starting lineup in each of his three seasons, but the inside backer position alongside him has had many suitors over that same span. This spring, the Ducks appear to have depth that is young, athletic and, most importantly, competitive.
"I told all of these guys they had a clean slate and I'm evaluating everything," said new linebackers coach Ken Wilson. "I've watched these guys when we scouted them and I'm giving them a clean slate. Let them play, compete and earn jobs. If a guy was down on the bottom of the depth chart last year it doesn't matter to me or if they were on the top it doesn't matter. With me, if I can trust them I'll put them on the field. I'm excited. There's a lot of good athletes out there."
BIG BOY BATTLE
One of the best matchups to watch during the team periods has been early enrollee Kayvon Thibodeaux against Steven Jones at right tackle. Jones has slimmed down to 350 pounds after a solid freshman season that saw him start at left tackle at Utah. The two had some good battles throughout the day on Wednesday as they both primarily worked with the second team. Thibodeaux used his speed and athleticism to beat Jones for a would-be sack late in practice. A few plays later against the No. 1 offense, Thibodeaux got into a running lane that opened up and forced a fumble that was picked up by the defense. Thibodeux has a long way to go – he has acknowledged this on twitter by thanking the offensive line – but you can see the flashes of talent that made him the ESPN's No. 1 player in the 2019 class.
FELIX IS BACK
With CJ Verdell limited on Wednesday, sophomore Darrian Felix split first team reps with Travis Dye and displayed some of the explosiveness that got him onto the field as a true freshman in 2017. Felix missed a majority of the 2018 season with a foot injury, but through the first three days of spring looks to have fresh legs and the burst he arrived on campus with. He provided the big play of the day on offense, taking a screen pass at least 50 yards and arguably for a touchdown on a perfectly timed and executed play. Verdell and Dye were one of five Power 5 duos with over 700 rushing yards each in 2018, and adding Felix to the every-down back pool gives Oregon a lot of depth.
Players Mentioned
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DE
/ Football
RB
/ FootballNSD26 2-4-26
Wednesday, February 04
Isaiah World | CFP Semifinal | Peach Bowl Preview
Tuesday, January 06
Noah Whittington | CFP Semifinal | Peach Bowl Preview
Tuesday, January 06
Kenyon Sadiq | CFP Semifinal | Peach Bowl Preview
Tuesday, January 06
