As Oregon wrapped up practice Saturday evening, coach Dan Lanning had his first chance to answer questions about the Ducks' announced move to the Big Ten in 2024.
Lanning talked about how that decision sets up the school and program for the future, how it helps in recruiting immediately and his thoughts on keeping alive the rivalry series with Oregon State.
Lanning also covered fall camp topics, including the growth of freshman quarterback Austin Novosad, other freshmen catching his eye and more.
Watch the interview here and scroll down for a complete transcript.
Opening comments ...
"It was fun to hear the pads pop. We got to get some of that going the last two days, but it was really intense today. Tomorrow's really an off day for our guys, so it was pretty high-strain today. Guys had to put a lot of effort, leave it on the field. A lot of competitive periods. I really thought the offense dominated team run, and the defense came back and really dominated third down. Some good competition in the red area as well, so overall a really good day."
What does "strain" mean to you?
"Yeah, to become great, you've got to do hard things and you've got to do hard things consistently. I think Brad Stevens had a saying, just a couple days ago we came across on Twitter or whatever, and he was speaking something similar to that. If I want to be good at doing something, I got to do something but not just do it -- I've got to do it hard. I got to do it intense. It takes a level of intensity, so that's what we're looking for on the field."
If the offense dominated team run does that mean the O-line had a good day?
"Yeah, O-line, our backs, we created some explosives that weren't necessarily just big plays. They could also end up being touchdowns."
Will you have scrimmages the next few Saturdays?
"Yeah, we'll be popping pads here the next few Saturdays."
What are you looking for the next week now that pads are on?
"Yeah, just continue to grow and get better. We're not picking units yet, we're not quite to that point. We're still trying to evaluate where guys fit, and we want again to play as many guys as we possibly can. So, again, trying to figure out who's above the line, who's below the line, and if they're below the line can we get them above the line."
Can you speak to the Big Ten news?
"Yeah, first off, I think our players are really excited about that. I think it's a exciting opportunity for us. We talk about what are we looking for at this university, and the way that we recruit on a national level, multiple time zones, playing against the best of the best, that's something our guys are really, really excited about. Obviously, it's not really our focus right now. We've got an entire season to play, this is about 2023 season. It's what we want to attack. But I think that creates a unique student-athlete experience for our guys moving forward and it certainly sets us up -- I really appreciate Rob, administration, all the people at the top that did a great job looking out for the future of Oregon, and I think that really protects us."
When were you confident that was going to be the outcome of all this?
"I was confident from the beginning that our administration and our staff here would make the best decision for Oregon, and I think that's what obviously that we did. We made the best decision for Oregon."
How do you want to take advantage of tomorrow?
"Yeah, a big recovery day. We'll have a recovery car wash where we'll get a lot of work, muscle-tension relief, a little bit of yoga, some ice bath. We'll have our meeting time that we can take advantage of, but a little bit of time off of our feet."
What makes the Big Ten the best decision for Oregon?
"Yeah, I just think that when you come here you're looking for an opportunity to continue to compete against the best, and I think there's no secret there's really great teams and great competition in that league. I think it's a league that means more than just football. I think obviously academically it brings a certain prestige, and the fact that it hits every single part of the United States is big for us because we are a team that is a national brand. We should be seen across the nation."
What has been the recruiting impact?
"More than anything, clear direction. We have really clear direction right now. It's not the what-if's, it's not the where-are, it's really clear where we're going to be in the future and how we're set up for long-term."
Were there things on the recruiting trail this last year that were used against you?
"Yeah, everybody's always going to recruit hard against us. Ultimately, we're not really concerned about everybody else. We have a great option to sell here and it's only stronger now because of what happened yesterday."
How does it change your scheduling philosophy?
"I haven't even made it that far. We're in Day 4 of practice. We want to play great teams. We want to continue to play great teams. I know Oregon State is a great example of a game that we would love to keep. We want to get that opportunity to continue to play against them. I think it means a lot to people in this state. That's something we want, but it's also a little bit out of our control now. We have to see how the chips fall. But it's the furthest thing from my mind right now -- it's about the 2023 team."
What do freshmen need to show you to see the field Game 1?
"Yeah, a lot of it just starts with just hitting the reset button and not letting one mistake be the next mistake an the mistake after, right? You're going to make some mistakes, especially early, but being able to hit the reset button and keep going on ... One thing that's distinctly different this fall compared to last fall is we didn't have the bodies to even go two-spot practice. We had to go 7-on-7 on one field and team 11-on-11 practice on the other field. We have that now. We have a deeper team. We have more players that can play and are available, so that's allowing those younger players to develop quicker."
Have any of them stood out to you in that sense?
"Probably a little early now to say that. Cole Martin is a guy who gets up here every single morning early, spends a lot of time at his craft and it's really showing up. Matayo's a guy that's done that. Teitum Tuioti had two really big plays yesterday. There's some young guys on offense -- Austin Novosad's made huge strides since the spring to now. But there's a lot of guys that have really stood out and there's a lot of guys putting in extra work."
What effect does the schedule this year compared to last year have in that way, opening against Portland State rather than Georgia?
"I think everyone that we want to recruit, they all believe they have opportunities, right? But it's about the opportunity they take advantage of. We don't prepare different based on the first opponent. We have to work really hard based on whoever we're playing, and if you're ready to play you will, right? It's our job to get some of those guys ready to play if they can help us, so we'll see how that comes. It's too early right now to put a time stamp on that."
Has Rodrick Pleasant's speed shown up this camp?
"Yeah, he can run. There's no secret he can run, and he's a perfectionist. He wants to do everything right. He's hard on himself at times because of that. As long as he continues to focus and grow, I think he's going to be a great player for us for a long time to come."
What are traits a true freshman corner would have to show to take the field?
"Perform at a high level. You could put a lot of different things on it -- perform at a high level. What's important at corner? You've got to be able to defend the ball, play it when it's in the air, stay on top, make tackles, make plays. But that's really at any position. The level's not based on if you're a freshman or a senior, it's based on your level of performance. If you perform at a high enough level, you'll play."
How has the competition looked between Ty Thompson and Austin Novosad?
"I just think all three of those guys are going out to work. We're trying them with different groups each time. It's hard as a quarterback to get in sync and a rhythm when you're working with a bunch of different players, but that being said, Austin understands the offense now. It's not turnaround and try to learn it all over again. That was a lot new in a really quick time for him in the spring, so being able to go through all summer, I think that's really prepared him well."
Are you committed to playing home-and-home with Oregon State?
"Absolutely, we'd love to keep that rivalry going."
