Today was Oregon’s second “two-a-day” practice session with their first scrimmage set for tomorrow – a key point in the quarterback competition between Bryan Bennett and Marcus Mariota. The Ducks will hold another scrimmage on August 24 before putting together their initial depth chart for the season.
Regarding progress made on the field, running back Kenjon Barner was very complimentary of freshman Byron Marshall, comparing him to De’Anthony Thomas in that he’s a “one time” guy; he only has to be shown or taught something once on the practice field. With the recent success of freshman running backs at Oregon, Marshall may face some lofty expectations from fans before too long.
Other highlights:

• Kelly also had positive words when asked about Marshall, singling out his football smarts as something he’s impressed with.
• When ratting off players who have performed well this far in practice, Kelly mentioned Mariota before Bennett, but cautioned not to read anything into the order. Not that fans are known to do that or anything.
• Bennett singled out freshman DeForest Buckner as someone who’s had success on the pass rush during drills, along with fellow freshman Arik Armstead.
• Still no sign of tight end Colt Lyerla, “soon” appears akin to “day-to-day” with Kelly, though there’s still no reason to expect any missed games.