This week Andy Staples revisited the 2008 recruiting classes around the country, and the Ducks, who were originally ranked 19th by Rivals and #23 by Scout, figured to be number two when the classes were revisited. Staples cited the list of stars that emerged from the class, including the since-departed Jeremiah Masoli and LeGarrette Blount, in assigning that lofty ranking.
The class of 2008 had a sudden impact. LaMichael James, Darron Thomas and John Boyett are the backbone of a team that went to the Rose Bowl in 2009-10 and 12-0 last fall. Several more from the 2008 group are filling key roles. Carson York will be a four-year starter, and Nick Cody will be one of the anchors on the offensive line going forward. Dion Jordan switched positions to emerge as playmaker at defensive end. Josh Kaddu and Kiko Alonso contributed early, and both could be starters in 2011. Each will certainly make the linebacker rotation.
Others got lost in the shuffle. Chris Harper, Mychal Rivera and Ellis Krout are long gone. Justin Thompson never made it. Zach Taylor flunked out.
Normally it takes two or three years to evaluate a recruiting class, but the early returns on the 2009 class are also promising. There were some big misses like Diante Jackson and Tyrece Gaines, but Cliff Harris became a consensus All-American at returner and second team All-Conference at corner. Michael Clay has had a solid first two seasons at outside linebacker. Lavasier Tuinei has had two steady seasons blocking and catching, and he could emerge as a star this fall, taking up some of the slack for the departed Jeff Maehl. Jackson Rice and Bo Lokombo have been terrific from the beginning.
These guys you know about, and that much is review. But what the Ducks do better than almost anyone in the country is fill the roster with guys who contribute character, competitiveness, upside and effort. On some teams, the players who don't emerge as starters become malcontents and distractions. Even way down the depth chart, Oregon has players who practice hard and keep competing.
Two outstanding examples of this are Daryle Hawkins and Justin Hoffman. In 2009, Hawkins got one of Oregon's last scholarships. He was a 2-star athlete from Omaha, Nebraska with just one other offer. He probably could have been a starter and a star at Northern Iowa, but he chose to come to Eugene and challenge himself against the best.
In Hawkins the Duck coaching staff found an athlete with hidden promise as a football player. He'd only been a quarterback for one season and lost most of that to injury, but he was a receiver on a team that won a state title as a junior. His basketball team won three state championships in four years, and he won first in state in the triple jump, second in the long jump, and third in the 110 meter hurdles.
Even though Hawkins has only seen limited time in the Oregon lineup after two seasons, he enters his redshirt sophomore season having already made an important contribution. In the Ducks' preparation for the national championship game, the 6-4 Hawkins accepted the role of simulating Cam Newton for the Oregon defense. Watch the tape of the game again and notice some of the subtle fruits of that effort. The UO defenders came in high on Newton in the pocket, maintaining leverage and pinning his throwing arm as they tackled him. In the fourth quarter, Casey Matthews, who'd scouted the Auburn quarterback's habit of carrying the ball low and away from his body, punches out a critical fumble. Hawkins did a great job of getting them ready, and they'd clearly paid attention in film study, holding the vaunted Auburn offense to 22 points.
Every year Oregon finds gems like these. Guys with character. Guys who can develop. Guys who accept a role on a championship team and keep pushing. This week Jackson Long of the Oregon Daily Emerald had a terrific interview with Hawkins, and what comes through loud and clear in the piece is the redshirt sophomore's tremendous attitude:
ODE: The Ducks' offense next year looks to be stacked with talent, both returners and fresh faces. It seems as though there aren't enough positions on the field to fit all the deserving players, including yourself. Is that frustrating for you?
DH: It's definitely not frustrating. If anything, it's exciting. Coaches will put the best out there, and if you are out there on the field, that means you are really good and you worked hard to get minutes. Just being a part of the team is kind of something special.
ODE: Who is the most underrated player on the team?
DH: Justin Hoffman definitely is one of the hardest-working kids on the team. He earned his scholarship and playing time last year. Getting him out of that 96 jersey to the 81 was great. We do this thing called last man standing in practice, which is basically up-downs until we can't do up-downs anymore. He is always one of the finalists. Always.
That's wonderful inside information, and Brown deserves kudos for bringing it to light. This was a top-notch interview from a student journalist. The great thing it reveals about Oregon football is this: Hawkins got the last scholarship in 2009. Justin Hoffman was an unheralded walk-on. Yet these two young men are two of the hardest workers on the team, and when spring practice starts, they'll be candidates to make the two-deep and get playing time this fall. If the Ducks' flashy, lightning-fast receiver recruits want to start early in their careers, they'll have to outwork and outplay Hoffman and Hawkins. Hawkins sees the defense with a quarterback's eyes. To play over top of him, Devon Blackmon or Colt Lyerla will have to master their assignments. To beat out Justin Hoffman, they'll have to prove they can complete blocks downfield.
Attitude reflects leadership. And on the Oregon roster, even the last scholarship athlete and the first walk-on to earn one are leaders. It's another thing the star ratings and instant analysis can't account for, another thing that sets Chip Kelly's team apart, why they could be even better in 2011. He's assembled 85 young men who love playing football together. That unity and resolve are the heart of a three-time championship team.
On a side note to this post, it also says to me that the ratings HS players get are often useless.
ReplyDeleteStars don't tell a player's heart, love for the game, or leadership abilities. Or how coachable they are. Do they rely on talent, or truly want to improve as a player?
That's why I don't look much at stars when picking a player.