Photo by: Rob Moseley/GoDucks.com
Football Practice Report: April 20
04/20/23 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
The Ducks practiced inside the Moshofsky Center on Thursday and will be in Autzen Stadium on Saturday for a scrimmage.
Venue: Moshofsky Center
Format; Shells
When he took the job as running backs coach at Oregon, Carlos Locklyn made a pledge to one of his predecessors in the job. Every day since, he's worked hard to keep it, by driving home a simple message to the Ducks' backs.
"When you come in this room," Locklyn said following the Ducks' spring practice Thursday, "you are going to compete. I made a promise to Coach (Gary) Campbell — I said that I am going to charge myself with bringing this room back where it's supposed to be at. So I tell these kids all the time, you come here, you're going to earn it."
Locklyn has gone about assembling a position group with the depth and talent to foster heated competition. From last year's team, the Ducks return two players in Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington who combined for nearly 1,900 rushing yards; each rushed for five touchdowns, as did yet another returner this spring, Jordan James. New recruits Dante Dowdell and Jayden Limar joined the fray this offseason, and the unit is bolstered by some talented, hard-working non-scholarship guys as well.
For the newcomers Dowdell and Limar, Locklyn has drilled down this spring on details like how to get in and out of a cut, and how to protect the ball while running in traffic. But above all else, Locklyn has been driving home the pledge he made to Campbell, who coached Oregon's running backs for parts of four decades.
"You're going to earn it in my room," Locklyn said. "That's it — you're going to earn it. And (the freshmen) are starting to get that. Both of them are picking up everything well — they're running hard — but the biggest thing with both of them, they're great listeners. They listen to the older guys, they're taking in coaching, they're doing a really good job there."
The new backs are listening to the vets, and the vets are doing more talking. On the field, Irving has focused on becoming a better pass blocker this spring, and Whittington has added mass while trimming body fat to maintain his elite speed. But Locklyn is looking for them also to impart his message of competition on the newcomers.
"The biggest part is helping them become better leaders," Locklyn said. "Showing the young guys the standard, and what the standard is."
Campbell helped establish that standard at Oregon, and Locklyn is intent upon maintaining it, and building on it. He has assembled a group of backs who look quite capable of doing so.
Notable: The Ducks practiced inside the Moshofsky Center for the first time this spring. They'll be in Autzen Stadium on Saturday for their second scrimmage of this camp … Thursday's schedule for players originally included dinner and then meetings at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. But at the conclusion of practice, head coach Dan Lanning said they instead were invited to his family's house to watch NBA playoff games in the evening. …
Thursday's practice was attended by members of the Central Oregon Band of Brothers, a veterans group based in Bend whose membership includes veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Lanning met with the group afterward and posed for photos. … Also in attendance were representatives of the City of Eugene's Urban Forestry program. Members of the UO football team participated with the Urban Forestry team in a clean-up day at Alton Baker Park earlier this spring, and they'll reunite later this year to replant trees on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd outside the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.
Quotable:
Sophomore defensive back Jahlil Florence on learning nickel along with corner
"Nickel you're in the box a little bit more, you get to be in the run action, you get to cover guys. More of that versatility — you're a cover guy that can tackle as well. … When I was in high school we played a lot of man, so I'd line up in the slot a lot. Being a physical corner, I always want to be in the run action. (So) when the coaches said they need me at nickel, I was available."
Junior offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius on providing leadership as a newcomer
"You can't think about it too much. My mentality can't be, I'm a new guy here. I've gotta come in and assert myself in a way that everybody knows I'm here to be for this team. They really made me feel welcome immediately, the coaches and the players. So I never really had an 'I'm a new guy' feeling. I just want to embrace the team and see these young guys succeed."
Format; Shells
When he took the job as running backs coach at Oregon, Carlos Locklyn made a pledge to one of his predecessors in the job. Every day since, he's worked hard to keep it, by driving home a simple message to the Ducks' backs.
"When you come in this room," Locklyn said following the Ducks' spring practice Thursday, "you are going to compete. I made a promise to Coach (Gary) Campbell — I said that I am going to charge myself with bringing this room back where it's supposed to be at. So I tell these kids all the time, you come here, you're going to earn it."
Locklyn has gone about assembling a position group with the depth and talent to foster heated competition. From last year's team, the Ducks return two players in Bucky Irving and Noah Whittington who combined for nearly 1,900 rushing yards; each rushed for five touchdowns, as did yet another returner this spring, Jordan James. New recruits Dante Dowdell and Jayden Limar joined the fray this offseason, and the unit is bolstered by some talented, hard-working non-scholarship guys as well.
For the newcomers Dowdell and Limar, Locklyn has drilled down this spring on details like how to get in and out of a cut, and how to protect the ball while running in traffic. But above all else, Locklyn has been driving home the pledge he made to Campbell, who coached Oregon's running backs for parts of four decades.
"You're going to earn it in my room," Locklyn said. "That's it — you're going to earn it. And (the freshmen) are starting to get that. Both of them are picking up everything well — they're running hard — but the biggest thing with both of them, they're great listeners. They listen to the older guys, they're taking in coaching, they're doing a really good job there."
The new backs are listening to the vets, and the vets are doing more talking. On the field, Irving has focused on becoming a better pass blocker this spring, and Whittington has added mass while trimming body fat to maintain his elite speed. But Locklyn is looking for them also to impart his message of competition on the newcomers.
"The biggest part is helping them become better leaders," Locklyn said. "Showing the young guys the standard, and what the standard is."
Campbell helped establish that standard at Oregon, and Locklyn is intent upon maintaining it, and building on it. He has assembled a group of backs who look quite capable of doing so.
Notable: The Ducks practiced inside the Moshofsky Center for the first time this spring. They'll be in Autzen Stadium on Saturday for their second scrimmage of this camp … Thursday's schedule for players originally included dinner and then meetings at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex. But at the conclusion of practice, head coach Dan Lanning said they instead were invited to his family's house to watch NBA playoff games in the evening. …
Thursday's practice was attended by members of the Central Oregon Band of Brothers, a veterans group based in Bend whose membership includes veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Lanning met with the group afterward and posed for photos. … Also in attendance were representatives of the City of Eugene's Urban Forestry program. Members of the UO football team participated with the Urban Forestry team in a clean-up day at Alton Baker Park earlier this spring, and they'll reunite later this year to replant trees on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd outside the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex.
Quotable:
Sophomore defensive back Jahlil Florence on learning nickel along with corner
"Nickel you're in the box a little bit more, you get to be in the run action, you get to cover guys. More of that versatility — you're a cover guy that can tackle as well. … When I was in high school we played a lot of man, so I'd line up in the slot a lot. Being a physical corner, I always want to be in the run action. (So) when the coaches said they need me at nickel, I was available."
Junior offensive lineman Ajani Cornelius on providing leadership as a newcomer
"You can't think about it too much. My mentality can't be, I'm a new guy here. I've gotta come in and assert myself in a way that everybody knows I'm here to be for this team. They really made me feel welcome immediately, the coaches and the players. So I never really had an 'I'm a new guy' feeling. I just want to embrace the team and see these young guys succeed."
Players Mentioned
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