Fall camp has come to an end, and the Oregon Ducks are now entering game preparation ahead of the season opener against Boise State. The end of Fall Camp and the transition to constant preparation for the games likely means the only jockeying for playing time that will take place will happen in Non-Conference play.
Dan Lanning spoke with the media as Oregon closed the camp portion of the offseason, where he raved about several players. It's often hard to get a coach to praise a younger player publicly, especially in the Transfer Portal era where everyone's watching. Instead, Dan Lanning raved about his freshmen wide receivers which is notable in many ways.
Dan Lanning uses final camp press conference to praise freshmen trio
When asked about how the younger wide receivers were progressing through camp, Dan Lanning had high praise for each of the high-profile freshmen, along with UAB transfer Iverson Hooks.
"Yeah, I mean, several of these guys are stepping up every single day. I mean, I think Messiah's [Hampton] really come on the last few days. You know Jalen's [Lott] certainly had some flash plays that stick out. Gatlin's [Bair] had those. I mean, there's several guys that have been able to do that. Iverson [Hooks], I mean, all in all, we've got a really good group of wideouts. It's going to be, okay, how do we figure out how to use these guys to their best ability and, you know, where do they fall in?"Dan Lanning
Dan Lanning has been pretty straightforward that he doesn't love praising players to the point, he even told Pat McAfee he normally sidesteps that kind of question.
Hearing that the trio of freshmen wide receivers is all shining should have every Oregon fan over the moon, as it'll only help the offense reach that next level. We've already seen Dakorien Moore, Evan Stewart, and Jeremiah McClellan make plays in the games, but nobody gets a great look at the freshmen until they take the field.
The 3 returning wide receivers, along with Iverson Hooks, are clearly going to lead the offense, especially early in the season, while the younger players look to prove themselves in the games. While the older players are going to be leaned on, the trio of freshmen each brings a unique skill set that can help the offense in a season in which the Ducks are pushing for a National Championship.
The biggest test of the freshmen is going to come when they actually get their first game reps, and if they get any playing time with Dante Moore. The trio has to earn trust from the coaches, along with from Dante Moore, and if any of them can prove they're capable of earning the playing time, it's there for the taking like we saw with Malik Benson last season.
It's great to have a stable of weapons in order to keep everyone fresh for what could be a long season. Any rest that the trio can give to Evan Stewart, coming off a major injury, or Dakorien Moore, who's dealt with injuries, could go a long way in the push for a National Championship.
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