Take Two: Two thoughts on Oregon football

TAKE ONE:

In years past, the elaborate hat-switching and theatrics that often accompany high school athletes' college commitment ceremonies might have elicited a sigh of impatience from me. But Friday night's ceremony for Juan Gaston, the elite offensive lineman from Georgia, sort of marked a turning point in my perspective.

Gaston, a highly sought-after recruit, took to the stage surrounded by friends, family, and teammates. With a flourish, he pulled off several different coats, each one representing a potential destination for his football future. The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Then came the hat game: Gaston tried on a few, each one sparking cheers or groans from the assembled onlookers, before finally settling on a red Georgia Bulldogs cap. His choice of the University of Georgia was met with applause and jubilation, a thrilling conclusion to a night filled with suspense.

Once, I might have dismissed this spectacle as unnecessary drama, a mere showmanship overshadowing the serious business of an athlete's future. However, as I watched Gaston's infectious grin and the joy on the faces of those around him, I realized something important: this is a rare moment of levity and celebration for these young men. Before the pressures of college athletics and the demands of playing at the highest-level set in, I think they deserve a chance to enjoy their achievements and bask in the spotlight.

This sentiment resonates even more strongly in light of recent comments by Olympic Gold Medalist sprinter Noah Lyles, who has been outspoken about the mental health challenges faced by athletes. Lyles has emphasized the importance of joy and mental well-being, reminding us that behind the achievements are young people navigating immense pressures. The pageantry of commitment ceremonies, like Gaston's, provides a vital space for fun and excitement, a brief respite from the seriousness of their athletic careers.

So, while the hat-swapping and coat-changing might once have felt excessive to me, I now see them as a meaningful part of the journey. It's a final hurrah, a chance for these young athletes to express themselves and enjoy a moment of pure celebration before stepping into the rigorous world of college sports. In this light, the ceremony is not just a display of commitment but a celebration of youth, achievement, and the joy of the game. And I think that resonates with me differently than it might have a decade ago.

TAKE TWO:

There has been a lot of talk about depth by Dan Lanning and the rest of the staff as the Ducks headed into fall camp. But there is one position where I am not sure that Oregon has the depth it has elsewhere: linebacker.

At media day last Monday, Lanning talked about the importance of depth.

“You don’t want them playing 75 snaps a game, right? You want to be able to, you know, spread the wealth. And when you do that, you get guys best performance.”

Though he was speaking of the defensive line, I think the same would be true of linebackers. Oregon has some really good starters there with Jestin Jacobs and Jeffrey Bassa returning. There is a lot of talent on the team with some depth provided by Blake Purchase and Teitum Tuioiti. Jerry Mixon, Emar’rion Winston, and Devon Jackson also all have some experience on the field as well as a ton of elite talent incoming with Brayden Platt, Dylan Williams, Kamar Mothudi, Elijah Rushing, and Jaeden Moore.

I think this is one position that gets overlooked when we talk about how much better Oregon looks defensively than they did even last year because there are a lot of those players that are sort of unknown to many. Role players a season ago and not necessarily depth.

This makes the lack of linebacker commits in the 2025 class even more curious. There are going to be some real opportunities for elite playmakers to come in and make a difference. After seeing the staff reel in three elite linebackers a year ago, I thought that the Ducks would roll with some really good talent this year.

But sometimes you just cannot predict some of these things. It was a bit of a surprise when Texas A&M made a strong late push for Noah Mikhail. Everything I have heard – and I shared this with premium subscribers yesterday – is that Mikhail is very happy with his choice at this point so I am not going to start predicting a flip. Will the Ducks keep the lines of communication open? Absolutely. But I am not going to predict a flip unless I see Mikhail start to take some visits.

The Ducks have picked up a commitment from Nasir Wyatt which is a commit I really like – he has all of the tools to be an exceptional college linebacker. Does he need to add weight? That depends on where the staff see him fitting best down the road.

Jonah Williams seems most likely headed elsewhere (another tidbit I shared with subscribers this week) for various reasons. So the name I am watching is a visitor over the summer committed elsewhere – Keylan Moses. I know it is going to take some work, but I think that the Ducks have done a lot of good things there and there is at least some reason for hope that they can get another visit this fall. If they do, I think the chances go up exponentially.

While I find the lack of linebackers committed in this class somewhat perplexing at this early stage, I think that it will work itself out by December when the early signing period hits.