Oregon Football Notebook: Spring Practice No. 4

Breaking down some of the top updates we got from Tosh Lupoi and Oregon players on Thursday.

Oregon held their fourth spring practice on Thursday and it was also our first opportunity to hear from defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi. We also got to hear from wide receiver Troy Franklin, linebacker Jeffrey Bassa and offensive lineman Marcus Harper II. 

Today I'm taking a closer look at some of the notable updates we got in my latest Oregon Football notebook.

No guarantees in spring

Lupoi was adamant that "nobody here has a guaranteed job", which is what you'd hope to hear. There are some good pieces back from a season ago, particularly along the interior defensive line, but new faces litter the rest of the defense and will be called upon to step into larger roles.

Take inside linebacker for example. The Ducks are looking for someone to fill the void left by Noah Sewell. Jeffrey Bassa is the main returner to watch there, but the position sees an influx of talent this spring with transfers Jestin Jacobs and Connor Soelle as well as 2023 prep signee Jerry Mixon arriving in Eugene.

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Going from good to great

Lupoi was asked about the edge rushers that Oregon has on the roster and he didn't shy away from saying they didn't get enough pressure on the quarterback.

He did praise Mase Funa for his play last season and mentioned Brandon Dorlus as another guy that will help take the group from good to great, especially with some of the pieces they've added at the position this spring. The Ducks welcomed Jordan Burch, Matayo Uiagalelei, Teitum Tuioti and Jaeden Moore as new additions on the edge compared to a season ago.

DJ Johnson was a good player for Oregon, but Lupoi is raising the bar moving forward with some very promising additions from the 2023 class.

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Jeffrey Bassa bulking up

The rising junior linebacker said after Thursday's practice that he's put on about 15 pounds this offseason. We don't have updated heights and weights in spring, but he was listed on last year's roster at 6'2", 212 pounds, which would put him closer to the neighborhood of 230 pounds.

That's definitely closer to the size you want from a traditional inside linebacker. Keep in mind he's a former safety, so now the attention will be on seeing how he moves and carries that new weight, as he was one of the faster backers the Ducks had last year. 

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Strictly business for Stein in Spring

Wide receiver Troy Franklin was asked what the interactions were like with the players and new Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein.

"I would say Will's a guy--he's pretty chill. He's out there he's just telling us what to do. He's not like Dilly, where Dilly was like a guy that was kinda energized, running around. He (Stein) smiles and stuff but he's just more of a guy--dot his i's, cross his t's, get the job done type of thing."

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Marcus Harper II Working at Center

One of the biggest losses for Oregon from a season ago was Alex Forsyth. With him wrapping up his career in Eugene it looks like Harper is a main contender for the center job along wit Jackson Powers-Johnson. 

Harper has previous experience working at center during his Oregon career under Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal, so he's knocking off a bit of rust here in the spring.

"Center is a lot harder than people think. It's a different feel," Harper said after practice. "You're the second quarterback of the offense. The O-line kind of runs through you. You gotta know everything ins and outs. You also gotta assert your dominance while also getting the ball to the quarterback consistently. That's kind of been my biggest growing pain right now but you know I'm gonna get to it."

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