When you’re a former five-star football recruit, a lot is expected of you. Sure, it’s hard to live up to those lofty expectations right away, but you’re in an exclusive club of maybe 20-30 players from your recruiting class.
Justin Flowe had to feel the pressure of those expectations from day one, but injuries forced him to put the potential breakout on hold in 2020.
Now that he’s back and getting fully healthy this spring, the former five-star linebacker from California has high hopes for himself, but one person may have even loftier expectations.
Mario Cristobal was asked about Flowe’s chances of breaking out this season and he had this to say:
Cristobal on Justin Flowe's chances of breaking out this year:
— Erik Skopil (@Erik_Skopil) April 16, 2021
"Extremely high. The guy is a really good football player. He had a tough go early on, getting nicked up. We've taken really good care of him though, and he's really approached his circumstances like a grown man.”
Obviously, that’s some high praise coming from a coach who has seen plenty of talent filtered into Eugene over the years. Flowe was the No. 6 recruit in the 2020 recruiting class and his injury marred what could have been a special freshman season — although it would have been shortened due to COVID-19.
But the hype is there and I’m the unofficial conductor of the hype train.
Where Justin Flowe fits on Oregon football’s depth chart
The linebackers make up one of the best units on the roster and while Cristobal says Flowe’s chances of breaking out are “extremely high”, he’s not projected to start — at least not right away.
Flowe is likely going to make the two-deep when the season kicks off, likely at the Will linebacker spot behind Isaac Slade-Matautia but it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he was playing starters snaps by the end of the year.
Masa Funa, Slade-Matautia, Noah Sewell, and Adrian Jackson are the projected starters for the Ducks’ linebacking corps this season but Flowe could easily enter that rotation.
Looks like I’m not the only one who believes Flowe’s breakout chances are “extremely high” as I’ve got some good company echoing that notion.