The Oregon Ducks football team is playing its spring game this weekend, which is more like fanfare than real football. The spring game is a fun way to get excited for the next season. However, it has to be taken with a grain of salt. Some preseason questions will be answered, but it is important to wait until the season begins to truly assess this team. Not too much can really be gained from watching what is essentially a glorified scrimmage, but it will provide an important first look for fans at the newest additions to the team.
These are some of the most important things — and players — to keep an eye on in the game.
Dillon Gabriel vs. Dante Moore
It seems like forever ago now, but there was a point where Bo Nix took the field opposite Ty Thompson to fight for the starting quarterback job. Of course, that matchup — similar to this year’s — had one quarterback that seemed poised to get the start the following year. Gabriel seems to have the starting job locked up heading into next season, but Moore is a promising young quarterback who will have a chance to show what he can do when given the keys to the offense.
For a quarterback room that seemed to be lacking talent with the departure of Nix before the transfer portal opened, it is a good problem to have that someone as talented as Moore will be the backup for Oregon. Watching the two quarterbacks duel in a less-than-competitive environment will be the first glimpse that the Oregon faithful have at either, and both will be looking to wow their new fan base in their first appearances at Autzen Stadium.
Jabbar Muhammad
The premier transfer portal acquisition for the Ducks was stealing Muhammad from the Washington Huskies. He will help improve an already solid Oregon secondary. Lining up across from the best receiver on the other side of the scrimmage will put Muhammad straight into the fire with a chance to show what he is made of.
The Ducks have had a number of great players come through their secondary in the last few years, and Muhammad seems like he could be the latest in that list.
Atticus Sappington
Sappington will take over as the kicker for Oregon after Camden Lewis graduated. He will be playing both sides of the ball, taking all extra points and field goals for both Team Yellow and Team Green. That means he will have twice as many attempts as he would in an average game. Although it will be his teammates trying to block his kicks, and a less enthusiastic crowd than it will be come fall, the spring game will be the first real game experience that Sappington will have in a Ducks uniform.
Oregon showed just how important having a reliable kicker is last season when Lewis was unable to bail out the offense after some late game struggles in both games against Washington. However, those calculated risks that head coach Dan Lanning seems to love will be a whole lot safer if Sappington can be relied on to come up clutch if needed.
Replacements on the Offensive Line
Losing a player like Jackson Powers-Johnson — who will likely be drafted in an early round of the NFL Draft — is a tough loss for the Ducks on the line. While Powers-Johnson was the main loss up front, he leaves a massive hole to be filled for an Oregon unit that was one of the best in the country last season. Who the Ducks will trust to take over at center to anchor that unit will be important to watch for in the game.
If Oregon wants to replicate the success Nix had, setting up Gabriel with a stellar offensive line is an important first step. During his two years with the program, Nix had two incredible offensive lines keeping him safe. Luckily, there will be a lot of continuity this season on the offensive line, so filling the holes should not be too hard.
