Photo by: @EricEvansPhoto
Preseason Camp Preview: ST
08/02/23 | Football, @GoDucksMoseley
Assessing how things stack up for the UO football program entering the start of preseason camp Aug. 2.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Who's back: Camden Lewis is back for a fifth season at placekicker for the Ducks, and he will spend 2023 chasing Oregon's career records for total points and made field goals in a career. Lewis was 14-of-16 on field-goal attempts in 2022, making everything he attempted inside 47 yards. He was a bit sheepish about his final placekick of 2022, the game-winning extra point in the Holiday Bowl that caromed in off an upright. But the bottom line was that the kick was good, the Ducks took a one-point lead and they held on to cap their season with a win over North Carolina.
Also back is Andrew Boyle, who in 2022 proved himself adept both at banging kickoffs into the end zone and also recovering onside kicks. One of the punters who battled all of last season for that job, Ross James, returns and is looking to earn a more consistent role this season. And with the Ducks looking to replace long snapper Karsten Battles, they have one veteran in the mix, Luke Basso.
Who's new: Reinforcements in the kicking game began arriving over the winter, when placekicker Grant Meadors enrolled. He was joined in the spring by more newcomers, punter Luke Dunne and long snappers Colson Brunner and Nick Duzanky. The punting rotation got more competition over the offseason with the arrival of Matthew Rigney via the portal.
What to watch: Every position on the roster is open to competition when camp begins, so even Lewis shouldn't feel too comfortable despite his wealth of experience. That said, the other spots presumably will offer more intrigue as the 2023 season opener approaches. At punter, Dunne showed some real promise in the spring, while Rigney brings college experience to the table. Basso has experience in the program at long snapper, but the freshmen will be expected to push for that job too. There are also of course a wealth of assignments to sort out as far as returning, covering and blocking on kick returns — Kris Hutson was the primary guy on kick and punt returns in 2022, but he too figures to be pushed by other candidates for those jobs.
Who's back: Camden Lewis is back for a fifth season at placekicker for the Ducks, and he will spend 2023 chasing Oregon's career records for total points and made field goals in a career. Lewis was 14-of-16 on field-goal attempts in 2022, making everything he attempted inside 47 yards. He was a bit sheepish about his final placekick of 2022, the game-winning extra point in the Holiday Bowl that caromed in off an upright. But the bottom line was that the kick was good, the Ducks took a one-point lead and they held on to cap their season with a win over North Carolina.
Also back is Andrew Boyle, who in 2022 proved himself adept both at banging kickoffs into the end zone and also recovering onside kicks. One of the punters who battled all of last season for that job, Ross James, returns and is looking to earn a more consistent role this season. And with the Ducks looking to replace long snapper Karsten Battles, they have one veteran in the mix, Luke Basso.
Who's new: Reinforcements in the kicking game began arriving over the winter, when placekicker Grant Meadors enrolled. He was joined in the spring by more newcomers, punter Luke Dunne and long snappers Colson Brunner and Nick Duzanky. The punting rotation got more competition over the offseason with the arrival of Matthew Rigney via the portal.
What to watch: Every position on the roster is open to competition when camp begins, so even Lewis shouldn't feel too comfortable despite his wealth of experience. That said, the other spots presumably will offer more intrigue as the 2023 season opener approaches. At punter, Dunne showed some real promise in the spring, while Rigney brings college experience to the table. Basso has experience in the program at long snapper, but the freshmen will be expected to push for that job too. There are also of course a wealth of assignments to sort out as far as returning, covering and blocking on kick returns — Kris Hutson was the primary guy on kick and punt returns in 2022, but he too figures to be pushed by other candidates for those jobs.
Players Mentioned
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