Oregon Football: Players To Watch In The Spring Game
The Willie Taggart Era of Oregon Football begins Saturday and there are key players to watch all over the field.
While Fall is still a few months away, the Oregon Football team has been putting in work under new Head Coach Willie Taggart this month. New Coaches and new schemes have led the charge along with a month-long lesson in learning fundamentals of the game the Taggart way.
On Saturday at Autzen Stadium, the two-hour display of the team will once again honor the Nation’s Military. The Spring Scrimmage will showcase players that are familiar to Oregon fans, and a few that may not be – yet. By the time Fall gets here some will become household names.
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When Taggart arrived in December he did a great job salvaging the 2017 Recruiting Class. Some of those players were here for Spring Camp, others won’t arrive until Fall. The Oregon Offense has been fun to watch this Spring and the leaders are stepping up.
Running Back Royce Freeman has regained his edge and speed from two seasons ago and looks primed for a big season. On Thursday he was working with the Offensive Line in blocking drills. Taj Griffin will rejoin the team after a knee injury late last season. He was seen working this week with the Running Backs.
We all know what Justin Herbert can do, so my eyes will be on Freshman Braxton Burmeister. On Thursday he had a pass to Charles Nelson that was on the money after dropping the ball in the pocket.
Head Coach Willie Taggart will be a spectator of sorts, but will be keeping a simple focus, “I’m very excited to see everybody go out and compete in every area. See if we can make the plays we are capable of making.” Defensive Coordinator Jim Leavitt had a similar message, “You want them to tackle well, you want them to play with passion and you want them to enjoy the game.”
On Defense, there are several players to keep an eye on. Troy Dye is moving from the outside to the inside this season as the Ducks return to a 3-4 base Defensive scheme under Leavitt.
Cornerback Thomas Graham is a Freshman who has made impressive plays in Practice and is using Troy Dye as a sounding board off the field. Graham could have a big day on Saturday.
Defensive Lineman Jordon Scott is another to keep an eye on. He is over 300 pounds and the Coaching Staff likes what they see in his ability. Scott is athletic and quick. He knows how to move his feet almost by instinct and could be a key contributor on the Line as a Freshman.
Right now, everything is still pretty new for both players and coaches. There should be a visible difference on the Defensive side of the ball during the Spring Scrimmage which should make Oregon fans happy after a 4-8 season where the Defense was a key problem.
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The Oregon Football Spring Scrimmage begins on Saturday at 11am inside Autzen Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted