Oregon Ducks Coach Will Stein Drawing 'Crazy Trick Plays' On Restaurant Napkins

The Oregon Ducks enter the Big Ten Conference with one of the most explosive and exciting offenses in college football. In 2024, expect the unexpected. Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is drawing up creative trick plays on restaurant napkins for quarterback Dillon Gabriel, tight end Terrance Ferguson and the Ducks.

Oregon Ducks tight end Terrance Ferguson talks to Sports Illustrated reporter Bri Amaranthus at Oregon media day in Eugene, Oregon. The Ducks begin their fall camp practices. /

EUGENE - The Oregon Ducks enter the Big Ten Conference with one of the most explosive and exciting offenses in college football. The Ducks are led by the top-transfer portal quarterback in Dillon Gabriel, surrounded by dynamic playmakers and arguably the best wide receiver unit in Oregon history.

Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein enters his second season calling plays after ranking No. 2 nationally in scoring offense (44.2 points per game), passing offense (342.8 yards per game), and total offense (526.6 yards per game) in 2023.

In 2024, expect the unexpected.

"(Will Stein) has some crazy trick plays, always. He's drawing up on a napkin somewhere in a restaurant," said tight end Terrance Ferguson to Oregon Ducks SI's Bri Amaranthus. "Coach Stein's done a great job of being creative like that. And he really thrives in trying to get the players the ball in space. And I think that's really the best thing you can do."

YES to Oregon Ducks trick plays in 2024!

"(Will Stein) has some crazy trick plays, always. He's drawing up on a napkin somewhere in a restaurant."
-Tight end Terrance Ferguson@Tf3four #GoDucks #B1GFootball https://t.co/0Aj5qpYQGY pic.twitter.com/GRE4IPZ12N

— Bri Amaranthus (@BriAmaranthus) July 30, 2024

Stein further developed his stellar reputation due to his work with Heisman Trophy finalist, Bo Nix. The quarterbacks coach gets to again work with one of the most experienced players in college football in Gabriel this season. Gabriel has 49 starts under his belt along with 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns. His maturity lends to Stein's ability to get creative.

Ferguson and Gabriel are best friends. The two offensive playmakers quickly bonded when Gabriel got to Eugene - Ferguson jokes that he was going to make Gabriel his best friend whether he wanted to be or not. Ferguson and Gabriel have traveled a lot together this offseason, including trips to Hawaii and Los Angeles.

How many throwing sessions have Gabriel and Ferguson had to prepare for Oregon's first season in the Big Ten?

"Countless," Ferguson told Amaranthus.

What makes Gabriel special?

"I think what makes him special is just his makeup outside of football," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "He's a great person and he connects with everybody. No matter who you are on the team, if you're a walk-on, the starter, and anything in between, he's someone who cares about that person and he's made a real emphasis to make a connection with everybody. "

Ferguson has a chance to break the Oregon record for most receptions by a Duck tight end this season (Needs 33 receptions to top124 receptions set by Ed Dickson.) How has the 6-5, 255-pound Ferguson improved from last season to this season?

New Oregon offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Will Stein leads a drill on the first practice of spring for Oregon football as the Ducks prepare for the 2023 season. Eug 031623 Uo Spring Fb 15 / Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA

"Honestly, I think the biggest difference has been my leadership role on the team," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "I've really tried to strive to get better at that. Coach has challenged me to be more of a vocal leader for the team. So with these off-season workouts, I've really tried to emphasize that and make sure that I was speaking up and getting better in that aspect of my game.

Ferguson chose to return to Oregon for his final season instead of entering his name in the 2024 NFL Draft. The tight end is a main cog in a team built to challenge some of the biggest, most physical college football teams in the country.

What about doubters who say Oregon is not ready for the "physical" Big Ten?

"I think if you watch the tape, we run the ball, we take pride in the ball," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "We're built from the trenches up and our offensive line, defensive line are built for that. And you go watch the past. I was here when we played Ohio State in 2021 and we know the physicality of the Big Ten brings and we're also bringing a different physicality that I don't think people realize just because we get put in the Pac-12 West Coast type of offense where we like to pound the rock and win in the trenches."

One of the focuses for the Ducks this season was bulking up in the offseason. What is an Oregon Duck weight room session like?

"It''s definitely intense," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "It's competitive. I think that's the biggest thing that jumps out to me is I work out with the tight ends and Pat, me and Kenyon, and it tracks. We have a lot of stuff that tracks, a lot of technology that tracks how fast you move in a certain way. And every rep's a competition between us. And then it turns into your rack versus another rack. And so I think that's kind of the biggest thing that jumps out is High intensity, it's competitive, it's fast, a lot of movement, quick. So I think that's probably the biggest thing."

Ferguson is ready to finish his Oregon career on top and to achieve something that no other Duck has.

"The goal is a national championship, and we've been vocal about that because we believe it, and everyone in the building has that one goal," Ferguson told Amaranthus. "I think when we're starting to put it out there and speak it into existence."