Thursday after Day 4 of Oregon practice, defensive backs coach and co-defensive coordinator Chris Hampton met the media and talked about what he's seeing from his young but talented group in the first week of spring drills.
Hampton thinks his young guys have the stuff to raise the standard in the Oregon secondary, a unit that faltered badly at the Rose Bowl along with everybody else.
Talking about his three highly ranked freshman cornerbacks, Brandon Finney, Na'eem Offord and Dorian Brew, he said, "They all fit the profile, height, weight, speed, they look the part, for sure, when you come out there and watch this practice, they don't look like true freshmen. They've all got size. They've got tremendous length, arm length, you know, they're as talented as they come."
Typically cornerback and receiver are places a young player can succeed early. A freshman has to learn his coverage rules and develop a short memory, but it's a place where talent can win out over time on the job.
Like just about everyone else in Oregon camp, Hampton praised Dillon Thieneman for his work habits and leadership. The film showed his production and intensity at safety, but the revelation this winter has been how thorough and consistent he is, a role model for those gifted younger players.
""What you didn't know is the person. We didn't recruit him out of high school. Once you get to know him, the person is much better than the player. His attention to detail, his work ethic, is like none other anyone I've ever coached, the guy's relentless in his pursuit for greatness. He's trying to get better each and every day. I mean growth. We say growth. I mean he's all about growth, every rep, every day, every meeting, like he's a pro, and so that's what you didn't know, is like, that's like, whoa. The intangibles about this guy was really tremendous.""Chris Hampton on Dillon Thieneman
The plan is to create that kind of culture in the defensive backfield room, which trains and conducts meetings as a unit rather than splitting into safeties and DBs. Hampton wants his guys to know and understand all the roles in the secondary.
He coached Jadon Canady at Tulane before Canady transferred to Ole Miss, a player he describes as cerebral, competitive and tough.
Instill those three qualities in a secondary, and before long you've got a No-Fly zone. The blend of talented youth sprinkled with professionally minded veterans could work beautifully for the Ducks, especially since they have four manageable games before the September 27 showdown with Penn State. That's a lot of reps and film to review before their toughest challenge.
Hampton said, "I think the spring is about growth. It's the big thing like this is my favorite part of the year to coach during the spring. Spring is all about, you know, personal growth, each and every guy getting better. How can we get better as a unit?"
Along with Rashad Wadood and analyst Connor Boyd, the emphasis is making the concepts understandable so the guys can play fast. A unit that works together and develops communication makes fewer costly mistakes.
Jahlil Florence is back practicing, not limited in reps. And track/football double Roderick Pleasant, a 10.06 sprinter in the 100 meters, will be available throughout the spring as his track schedule allows.
Big Ten Ten thinks the collaboration of Thieneman and linebacker Bryce Boettcher might be one of the best combos in the country, although Ohio State enjoys an exceptional one in Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles.