“Iron sharpens iron,” Oregon cornerback Donte Manning said.
The mindset represents the Ducks’ ongoing positional battle between Manning and Trikweze Bridges. As they vie for the starting role, the two have used this competition to improve their individual abilities and challenge one another to maximize every opportunity.
The two freshmen have waited in the wings for their shot. Bridges, a redshirt, appeared in all seven games for the Ducks last season in a limited fashion, while Manning was injured –– playing limited snaps in one game for the team.
In 2021, the Ducks’ secondary thinned out, losing four starters to this past April’s NFL draft.
With those starters gone, Manning and Bridges have ascended the depth chart. Now, both will fill roles as crucial pieces in the Ducks’ quest for a third straight Pac-12 title.
In the week leading up to Oregon’s matchup with Fresno State, the battle remained neck-and-neck. Rather than focusing their energy on besting one another, Manning and Bridges let the competition decide itself by showcasing personal improvement.
“No matter who wins the job, I’m going to get better, [Trikweze] is going to get better and we are just getting better as a group,” Manning said.
Bridges took a methodical approach to the competition, and it proved favorable as he was named the week one starter.
“I just focus on winning today,” Bridges said. “I focus on being perfect on my technique, in the film room… if I do everything I need to do in that one day I’ll be 1-0… If I do all the things I’m supposed to I trust [Cristobal] will let me play.”
While Bridges may have a slight lead over Manning, Oregon’s coaches put an emphasis on competition at practice and in games.
“I think competition is great,” defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter said. “[Bridges and Manning] have been competing all spring… They both bring different things to the table and that competition has maximized where they’re at.”
“[Bridges and Manning] went out there and gave us everything they had,” head coach Mario Cristobal said after the game. “I know they’d like to have a few plays back… but Trikweze stepped up. Donte Manning same thing… And I liked the way they involved themselves in the run game too.”
Manning expects that he and Bridges will continue to “uplift one another” regardless of who ends up winning the job.
“[Donte and I] push each other with everything: meetings, on the field, walking to the field… we push each other with everything we can,” Bridges said.
That mentality transferred over to the Ducks’ recent victory over Fresno State.
In the waning minutes of the game, the Ducks held a 7-point advantage, but the Bulldogs had one last drive to tie it up.
On fourth-and-15, Jacob Haener completed a pass downfield to Jalen Cropper, but Bridges stepped and tackled Cropper two yards short of the sticks effectively ending the game and sealing the 31-24 victory for the Ducks.
Oregon’s football program has high hopes for the season. While the starting cornerback spot is a coveted one, expect the Ducks to rely on both Bridges and Manning to play a crucial role throughout the year.
