On Tuesday, the first day of spring practices, the Oregon football team started life after Marcus Mariota. The only issue with that venture? Mariota, along with former center Hroniss Grasu, was at the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex to watch his former team’s first day of practice.
“It was weird to see them without pads and not out there with us,” offensive lineman Doug Brenner said.
Less than three months after Oregon’s 42-20 National Championship loss to Ohio State, the Ducks are facing the problem of replacing the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. The void left by Mariota is not something that’s simply filled, wide receiver Bralon Addison asserted. “You can’t replace that,” he said.
Losing a starting quarterback is one thing, but losing the leadership skills that Mariota brought to the team is another issue.
“This program has a lot of guys with leadership qualities so I think it’s about finding the right guys,” Addison said. “The coaches know of 10, 20 guys that they can trust and they know will step up.”
One guy that head coach Mark Helfrich cited as a potential leader for the Ducks is running back Royce Freeman. As a true freshman last year, the Imperial, California native became the first freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in school history. Like Mariota, Freeman is quiet by nature but his leadership qualities are evident in the way he works.
“Royce Freeman kind of goes into that category of not manufacturing [leadership], but when that guy shows up, it’s how he works…all the interactions he has are great,” Helfrich said.
Charles Nelson switches to defensive back
The Oregon Athletic Department announced Monday that freshman wide receiver and kick returner Charles Nelson is making the switch to defensive back.
Helfrich said Tuesday that the move is about creating competition at the defensive back position. He added that Nelson was very receptive to the position change.
“His skill set and his attitude was tremendous,” Helfrich said. “When you start to talk to a guy about a position change, a lot of the times it’s ‘uhh, yeah, I’ll do it’ but in his case it was ‘yep. I’m in.’”
Last season, Nelson caught 23 passes for 327 yards. He had five total touchdowns, as well.
Defensive back Chris Seisay called Nelson moving to defense a “big” move.
“He’s an explosive player so you can put him anywhere,” Seisay said.
Bralon Addison returns
Bralon Addison walked to the Hatfield-Dowlin complex overhang where the media was hiding from the Eugene rain with his green helmet on and a clear visor to cover his face. When he removed it, like a grand unveiling, the media swarmed the wide receiver bouncing back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Addison called being back on the field a blessing.
“To have the chance to be back out here and practice again is really something I’m enjoying,” he said. “You never know how much you miss practice until you can’t practice anymore.”
In 2013, Addison was an Honorable Mention All Pac-12 recipient after catching 61 passes for 890 yards and seven touchdowns.
Before the Rose Bowl against Florida State, Addison put pads on and ran a route with his team. He said that he thought about playing “for a second” and that he might have been “physically able to play.”
“It’s just a blessing to be a part of this program,” Addison said. “Even being on the sideline, it was a special thing to see.”
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @JoeJHoyt