Oregon Football: Anticipation for 2021 builds as Ducks open spring camp

There are always a lot of questions surrounding any football program as a new season begins. We have had a few seasons now where the quarterback questions were there, but again for this season they will be magnified.

The quarterback room for Oregon is loaded with talent and there are several players right off the bat that will be competing for a roster spot.

Anthony Brown returns after late-season appearances last year and freshman Ty Thompson enters the picture as one of the top recruits the Ducks have had under Mario Cristobal who spoke with the media on Thursday.

“These guys are very competitive,” Cristobal said. “We’re going to place them in competitive positions. It’s always the focal point of every team.”

As far as breaking things down in camp, he also discussed how the Ducks will plan. “Way before we enter spring we meet with our position groups and let them know what the sets are going to look like. Entering spring they know what they need to do to get better.”

With just one day under his belt, Thompson looked the part of a top recruit according to Cristobal, “Ty, he looks the part. We knew he was a great talent coming in. Him and all those guys. They attack the opportunities that we have. They have the right DNA. We expect great things from Ty, no doubt.”

Big injury hits Oregon football

The Ducks had some injuries in key positions toward the end of the 2020 season. Some of those guys are still working toward getting back and may not be available until summer or beyond. Running back Sean Dollars suffered an injury during workouts that will keep him out of camp altogether along with possibly part of the upcoming season.

With Dollars out, there is an opportunity.

Both CJ Verdell and Travis Dye enter camp healthy and ready to go. Verdell had a thumb injury that interrupted his time on the field in the shortened 2020 season.

It is not yet known if fans will be able to attend the spring game. That is still to be determined in the days and weeks ahead. One thing is clear with this team under Cristobal, he again is working toward the ultimate goal of bringing a national championship to Eugene and finding the right pieces to do it.

“We have the most early enrollees we’ve ever had here since our arrival at Oregon,” Cristobal said. “It’s incredible to see how much these guys have put in as far as work in the weight room and studying out playbooks and our systems to be able to jump out there right away today and look the part in our first day of practice.”

Quotes obtained during the first spring practice press conference on April 1, 2021 via Zoom.