Oregon appeared to be starting from scratch at center following the departure of fifth-year senior Matt Hegarty last season.
Both Hegarty and quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. were injured in their last collegiate game – a 47-41, triple-overtime collapse to TCU in the Alamo Bowl last January. The two watched from the sidelines as their replacements, backup center Doug Brenner and backup quarterback Jeff Lockie, fell apart in the second half.
Aside from Lockie, several errant snaps from Brenner prevented Oregon’s offense from getting in sync. Onlookers saw a glimpse of Oregon’s future at center, and it wasn’t pretty.
Behind Brenner, only redshirt freshman Jake Hanson had practiced extensively in the position. But Oregon’s staff didn’t want to waste Hanson’s redshirt on one game, and opted not to bring him into the Alamo Bowl. Instead, Hanson spent his freshman season patiently waiting for his opportunity.
Although Hanson didn’t get any in-game experience in 2015, he spent plenty of time practicing with the first and second teams, which, according to head coach Mark Helfrich, gave Hanson a leg up learning Oregon’s system. As Oregon’s spring practice nears its ending, Hanson is relishing the position.
“Practicing with the ones and twos last year gave me an opportunity to get a good grasp of the offense and I’ve just been building on that ever since,” Hanson said. “Now I feel like I’ve been running this offense a lot longer than a year.”
Hanson’s transition to Oregon’s starting center seemed unlikely when he first arrived on campus last fall. The Eureka, California, native never played center in high school, and he expected to continue his more familiar offensive tackle position in college.
But Oregon needed a long-term plan at center. Hegarty, who came to Oregon as a graduate transfer from Notre Dame in 2015, only had one year of college eligibility remaining.
Early last fall, Oregon offensive line coach Steve Greatwood took notice of Hanson’s quick grasp of the offense. Greatwood asked Hanson to take snaps at center before practice one particular morning, and his new role stuck.
“It was hard at first because snapping the ball is a lot different when you haven’t done it at any other position before,” Hanson said. “But it got easier as [time] went on.”
Throughout last season, teammates on both sides of the ball noticed Hanson’s patience paying off.
“That guy is an animal – already,” sophomore defensive tackle Canton Kaumatule said. “All the starters from last year knew week-by-week he was getting a lot better. I’m really excited for him this year.”
The Ducks return two starters, Tyrell Crosby and Cameron Hunt, from last year’s offensive line. Hanson appears to be the favorite to win the center job, while Jake Pisarcik will likely fill one of the guard positions and could also spell Hanson in the middle.
After losing experience across the line, the unit has experienced growing pains this spring. But with several new players emerging, including Hanson, it’s simply a matter of improving rapport.
“Lot of new faces on the offensive line, lot of the freshmen coming up and starting to play,” Pisarcik said. “I think it’s just going to take a little bit with the chemistry, to get everyone aware of what’s going on … As we keep practicing, the chemistry will build.”
Follow Will Denner on Twitter @Will_Denner