The Oregon football team began spring practice Tuesday a few men short. Only two running backs, Andre Crenshaw and Remene Alston, received touches after LeGarrette Blount (ankle) and LaMichael James (shoulder) were held out with injuries. Sophomore Anthony Gildon got extensive work at cornerback after Willie Glasper and Talmadge Jackson III were held out. Quarterback Nate Costa, offensive lineman C.E. Kaiser and wide receiver D.J. Davis were patrolling the sidelines, unable to participate in contact drills.
Nevertheless, new head coach Chip Kelly’s first practice is in the books as a successful outing.
“(I’m) a little hoarse,” Kelly noted afterward. “But besides that, pretty good.”
“It was great,” quarterback Jeremiah Masoli said. “Some things were different in the way we ran practice. Our pre-practice was a little more intense. I think it warms us up better, gets us fired up to go.”
Kelly, noted for his excitement and vitriol in practice along with his fast-paced offense, spent his morning moving back and forth between offensive and defensive units, attempting to provide equal time for needed instruction. The feedback from the players was overwhelmingly positive.
“Chip’s on both sides of the ball, encouraging both sides,” safety T.J. Ward said. “(He’s) keeping everybody fired up, keeping the pace of practice at a minimum because he doesn’t want everybody else to get tired because we’ve gotta get ready for the season, moving at that same pace.
“Chip’s all over the place during practice.”
Discipline within practice was a clear priority, as Kelly admonished players for overaggressive actions such as making plays on the quarterback. Practice was conducted with helmets but without pads.
“We all want to practice the right way and I want our guys to understand that we shouldn’t have to punish you to put you in pads. You need to learn how to practice in shorts,” Kelly said. “We’ve lost some players in the last two years in practice, and I blame us more than our players. If we accept it, then expect it. We gotta keep our playmakers healthy. There’s a fine line of getting your work in, setting the tempo, and doing all those other things.”
Kelly’s to-do list is expansive entering the spring. The offensive and defensive lines will have a combined five new starters, including both starting defensive tackles. Sophomore defensive tackle Tonio Celotto, whose 26 career tackles was the most of any returner, quit the team before spring practice. But new defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro, a transplant from Marshall, made a quick impression.
“He’s fiery,” Ward said, “but I like him. The D-line looks like they’re moving fast.”
Today was also the first day for new wide receivers coach Scott Frost and new quarterbacks coach Mike Bellotti, who will assist Kelly in the spring. Kelly’s workload trumped any worries about conflicting interests.
“I was happy to have Mike here so I didn’t have to coach the quarterbacks,” Kelly said. “He was really a godsend. I didn’t spend much time with those guys, but I don’t need to worry about those guys because he’s awesome.”
“He’s real technical with stuff – my footwork, my mechanics, stuff like that. It really helps all four of us,” Masoli said.
Oregon must find two starting wide receivers – and, yes, a starting running back – by the fall, and Masoli acknowledged a demanding list of responsibilities entering the spring.
“Just as an offense, trying to get on the same page, when the defense is blitzing and stuff like that,” he said. “Making checks, audibles, stuff like that with the receiving corps – just getting our timing down as a unit.”
“We need some leaders to show up on the offensive side of the ball,” Kelly said. “We’ve got some leadership from the defensive standpoint.”
Ward, entering his second year as a starter in the Oregon secondary, counts himself among them.
“I think we could do really well,” he said. “We lose some key players, but I think the guys that we have can step on the field just as well, and maybe even better.
“I’m just trying to lead the defense to the best of my ability and keep everybody on track.”
As he figures out where to find his leaders and how to fill his holes, Kelly has a simple but clear focus for his spring debut.
“I just want to see guys get reps and see who competes,” he said. “There ain’t any proven commodities on this team.”
Considering Oregon’s present situation in the college football landscape, those words come as a breath of fresh air.
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