As Oregon football continues its spring practices and scrimmages in the lead up to its spring game on May 1, members of the team and coaching staff continue to speak with the media. Here is the latest within the program, as they prepare for the spring game and upcoming season.

Offensive line building camaraderie 

Entering last year’s seven-game season, Oregon’s offensive line had combined for just one career start. This was largely due to three and four-year starters who came before such as Calvin Throckmorton, Shane Lemieux, and Jake Hanson. 
Despite the lack of experience and shortened pre-season due to the COVID-19, the offensive line stuck the landing last season. 

“We jumped right into it,” offensive lineman George Moore said. “For an offense with all new guys, I thought we did well.”

The arrival of Kingsley Suamataia should only help the line. The five-star, top-100 freshman from Orem, Utah has drawn plenty of attention this spring, already attracting comparisons to former Duck tackle Penei Sewell. 
“Kingsley’s a great athlete,” Moore said. “He’s got quick feet and he can grasp the plays very well. He’s special to watch.”

Now, with an experienced line, young talent, and an offense in its second season, the future is looking bright for the Oregon offensive line.

“After seven games of playing together we know what to expect from each other,” offensive lineman Ryan Walk said. “We know what the standard needs to be and how to elevate that to succeed.”

The secondary begins to gel

While the offensive line is building its camaraderie as a unit, the secondary is still in the beginning stages of building theirs. With leaders like Nick Pickett and Deommodore Lenoir declaring for the draft, expect new faces to be forced to step up.

“The best advice D-mo (Lenoir) ever gave me was to take everyday day-by-day,” cornerback DJ James said. “Having an older guy like him teach me the game and teach me the roles was great for me, and it gave me all the confidence I needed.” 

James isn’t the only name in the secondary that’ll need to step up. Bryan Addison, Jamal Hill, Jordan Happle, and Bennett Williams will all look to build on last year with the potential for larger roles in 2021 at the nickel and safety spots. 

The Ducks secondary struggled with guarding tight ends multiple times last season, most notably against UCLA and Iowa State. Thankfully, players like Hill and Addison who are 6-foot-2 and 6-foot-5 respectively are expected to see the field a lot more this upcoming year. 

“It looks different…it looks like a basketball team a little,” Hill said when asked about this year’s secondary. “That length is just gonna help us out against teams with tight ends in the end zone.”

Even though the secondary may not be the most dialed in right now, cornerbacks coach Rod Chance is still optimistic that his group will be ready to go when the first whistle is blown.

“I’m pleased with how we are as a unit,” Chance said. “We got a lot of guys ready to step onto the field for the first time this season, but I’m excited to see these young men put themselves in a situation to compete.”

Logan Sagapolu’s presence

Perhaps one of the biggest stories this spring has been Logan Sagapolu, the center from Lehi, Utah. Sagapolu originally graduated high school in 2019 where he was rated the sixth-best center in the country. 

He committed to Oregon, but went on a year and a half long Latter-day Saints (LDS) mission instead. Now, he’s back from his hiatus and is ready to contribute to the team.

Perhaps Sagapolu’s most dominant trait is his size. He’s 6’2”, which is short for an offensive lineman, but he makes up for it by being 345 pounds.

“This is a very large human being,” head coach Mario Cristobal said. “He’s like a tyrannosaurus rex with large bones, heavy muscle density, and lots of power.”

Whether Sagapolu will see the field a lot his freshman year is still to be determined, especially after sitting out a year and a half with a very talented offensive line already. He’s still got tons of time to improve, however, and some incredible resources to help him in Eugene.

“He’s got a big future, and I’m really glad he’s here,” Cristobal said.