Haywarduck

I think Utah produces the best overall football talent. These kids know how to play the game and there is a passion for the game you don't always see with some of the coddled recruits. The Utah area should be recruited without the star rating so closely followed. The other area is Hawaii, and the whole Polynesian culture should be given a renewed focus. Again the Poly players have a passion for the game you don't see with all players. They sometimes develop later too, so keep that a focus too. Will Tukuafu was one of my favorite out of Utah. A young man who went the Community College route before Oregon, and ended up having a pretty decent NFL career. We need to recruit passion and potential. With good coaching it will all work itself out.

It is hard to believe Kelee Ringo who was the #1 recruit at DB, and is an elite NFL talent has zero technique. If so then it doesn't look good for the Oregon DB's and their development. I will agree the SEC standard for position groups is higher than in the Pac-12. Going against Alabama with any weakness isn't an easy task. My take with adjustments the Georgia backfield will do just fine. The wild card will be the wily Saban. What moves is he going to make. It will be like watching another Bobby Fischer on the football field. This will be a treat after watching what looked like a three stooges act on the sideline for too long. I had a pretty funny meme of one of the stooges, but better judgement ruled.

I think Anthony was very lucky this season. It was a miracle he didn't get injured with the way he was used. I just hope we have at least two very competitive qb's, we probably will need them. The way Georgia plays defense we might need the second guy sooner than later.

I would like to see a faction of schools compete on the academic side. Give the athletes more school support and money for academics. A scholarship from Oregon could be good for 8 years, and a masters degree. Most in the real world realize a bachelors degree is like a high school degree was decades ago. Schools should push the NCAA to allow them to give even more academic help. There is always those who do well without college, but those are the exception. There could be a super league for non-students, and those who are truly into the NIL world. These kids could go to the Auburns and learn how to manage money, and just learn life skills while playing football. Both leagues could compete against each other if they wanted to, but some schools could choose to only compete against the academic schools. The student athlete league would be where kids go to school to get a degree and create a future beyond football. These student athletes could become the future of a more student athlete driven football. My main concern is students, at this age, aren't ready for the money coming their way. They need to learn how to work hard, compete as a team, and gain advanced life skills, go to college. The whole portal, NIL direction is going to leave even more kids without an education, and broken bodies. Money destroys many who end up in the NFL, just wait for what the college game does to the kids with all the money. The pension is what saves many from the NFL, and there won't be a pension from college ball. Donors will drop these athletes as soon as they don't perform, probably quicker. It would be a tough sell, but many parents would be for a safer, more academically driven athletic experience. I think there should be some creativity put into this whole formula, by the innovative schools. The academic side of the student athlete should be a focus too!

I do think the era of the dynamics of successful programs will forever be altered. This has to be a bigger shift than the lowering of the scholarship numbers. A dollar competition for players changes everything. I don't think it will be as easy as who can spend the most. The old trailblazers showed that was a failed formula. Recruiting in the new era will be a whole different ball game. A competitive culture will still be important and money can kill that.

I think a pandoras box has been opened in college football. What will that mean and can it ever be closed again? The combination of the portal and the NIL may create even more of a tiered system. I can see a bidding war for the truly elite talent. Programs may have boosters setting up NIL opportunities for any impactful players, freshman or transfers. Getting rated a 5* may mean 7 figures straight out of high school. Only the top booster led programs may be able to recruit the 5* talent in the future. Some of these kids may take a pay cut when they reach the NFL. If a kid comes out of high school as a top 10 talent he is going to get huge money. If he disappoints, becomes fat, happy and lazy, or gets injured he may have reached his highest earning potential. The portal may develop a farm type system out of the lower tiered programs. A freshman with an amazing season at a lower rated school could get a massive NIL opportunity based off one season of college football. These lower tiered programs will get robbed of their players, and be stuck as just feeder programs for the big boys. The last item is the unscrupulous donors may be the ones who have the biggest impact. Paying players large sums will be the new way to build a program. No longer will be building academic centers or rehabilitation facilities be the large incentive to go to a school. It will be all about the short term, the money payed to players now. Those who have been playing in the shadows can now rule the programs. Who knows what will happen. All we know is the future won't look like the past, nor the present. Big changes are happening, and the outcome can only guessed as to the ultimate impact. It doesn't look too good from where I am sitting.

Agree, in the imperfect world they worked in, these coaches stayed with the program, and led the team to a very resilient effort against Oklahoma. The years they gave to Oregon should be appreciated and lauded. Best of luck to all the assistants, and onward, forward, upward for the Oregon Football Program.

This is exactly what the portal will become, a player proves himself at a lesser school, then transfer to a better school. The next step is a bidding war on the top talent from lesser schools. I can see where, in the future, top schools will really only recruit the can't miss kids. The rest of the kids will come from the portal, and the lower schools top athletes. Why would a school recruit a borderline freshman, when they can pull sophomores who have proven themselves at the college level? Top school to a borderline 3-4* kid, 'go to Colorado and prove yourself and there will be a sweet NIL deal waiting for you next year.'

Makes you wonder what will happen when the students make more than the professors. The coaches are usually the highest paid state employees, now the athlete/student may be the highest paid at the university. I suppose at some schools this has already been tried, done. Is this just leveling the playing field, or is it just going to give the programs already paying athletes even more license to work the system. Stay tuned as the wild wild world of college football goes into hyper speed. It does seem to mean we need to rename student athletes, athlete students now. I wonder how inspired some of these highly paid athlete students are going to be when they are already making bank? The reason you go to college is so you can make money, what happens when you already do and don't have to work hard in college athletics?

I would add he was a Mario target throughout the Miami hiring process. Interesting he wants to move to Miami, but to each his own. He was a recent Oregon target, or Coach Lanning has just started recruiting him. I wouldn't give up on the kid. We already have one highly rated Miami DE recruit who left from the west coast and came back, DJ Johnson. Right now I am extremely happy with DJ Johnson, and we may still see Cyrus pull a DJ and flip.

I can see respect for Mario, but that should stay well below the level of reverence. Mario may have worked very hard, but it is just like Frost saying you can't recruit to Oregon to say Mario can't be beat. You can recruit to Oregon and I think you can out work Mario. You gave away the method, better coaches, and he has that. JTT never should have went to tosu. I think recruits want to come to Oregon to play offense. The difference with an elite Defensive Coach is he will be able to bring in more defensive talent. My glass is always half full of lemonade I make myself, and I mostly view things with green and yellow glasses, I fully admit. I will stand firm, I am not going to give away anything to the way Mario did it, as the best, just not going to happen.

I do like the idea of revamping the recruiting, the defense, and the offense, basically needs to be rebuilt. Fortunately for the offense, most of the materials are already on site. If the offense were a car it would need, maybe some new performance wheels, and upgrade the carburetor to fuel injection. The vehicle is worth the effort. It is going to be nice to see the offense go again!

Interesting article on Lanning's idea of revamping Oregon's recruiting. Obviously Lanning isn't satisfied with just continuing what was done. Not a rebuild, but a perfecting, reworking, and just touching up a process already working. Exciting to see a guy not satisfied with the one area which was the most successful part of the Oregon Football Program. Recruiting under Lanning

A little under appreciated was Kiko Alonso. He was awarded the Defensive Rookie of the Year after being drafted in the second round. While injuries and controversies followed Kiko, he was an incredibly important part of the Ducks and had a decent NFL career. He was definitely part of the low star Oregon recruits who were the bedrock of the Chip Kelly program.

I think they may begin cutting back on their nike dawg hat purchases. They seem to be becoming the Detroit Lions of the Pac-12.

Sounds like the price of Potato Salad just went up, as the stands went down.

Also looking towards where the new indoor practice facility will be. Some of those beautiful trees may have to be sacrificed, but it will be another epic Oregon Football Facility. It also isn't a pie in the sky promise based on wishful thinking. It is a well thought out plan With a timeline which will be met.

I found it interesting it seemed George focused on what the programs could do to improve. I want to know what he can do to help those programs, that is his job. I can tell him real quick one of those things, get to an 8 game conference schedule. If that is all George had to say then the reporter wasn't doing his job with questions. It may also show George isn't focused on what he should be working on. I hope he is a better leader than the article showed. The article seemed to indicate he is waiting for the programs to turn around while he watches. We need George to get to work on things he can help with, and quick.

Agree in the past it was like watching a rally car race. There were a lot of acceleration and cornering, fun to watch. Recently it was more like a demolition derby. To each his own, but I prefer the skill seen in a performance vehicle. Some might even say our previous coach just wanted a monster truck competition.

I hope it is a signal from this staff that they aren't trying to rebuild it from zero. There is a long legacy of excellence on and off the field. Embracing that history won't take away from what these coaches accomplish it will only enhance it. Much like the rebuild of a classic car, you don't forget it's past. To me, and my cars, I love a car which is all stock. My BMW 2002 had the original paint, the patina was beautiful. The engine needed a new carburetor, that only made it perform even better. A 5 speed, instead of a 4 speed transmission did the same thing. In the end it looked like the same car, but performed much better. It was true to it's birthright. I think that is what we want for the Oregon Program. We want to know it is Oregon, not some team from down south a coach still yearns to see recreated. Oregon is about innovation, not recreation. Bring Oregon into the present, with what it takes to reflect our past. Great topic to ponder on and well written!

Next I want to start seeing records broken in the weight room. I remember the days when Igor and Ngata use to go at in the weight room. For all the talk we heard about filling the sleeves it seemed they were, sometimes, just full of hot air. I want to see a serious push out of the O-line and Dline. Make the rest of the pac-12 their rag dolls!

You can't break what is already broken! You have to love the positive spin, maybe they can hope for a fix, but they are already broken.

Lanning's history isn't the only thing to take in consideration. As has been stated, take a look at his supporting cast, compared to any of those coaches, Lanning A+. Now look at the history of Oregon head coach hires against any of the programs listed, Lanning A+. I agree nobody knows how any of these coaches will do, but if I was betting, I would take Lanning over any of these guys. My take, this prediction will be even worse than a preseason poll of where teams will finish. It is interesting sc, Florida, LSU and Oklahoma top the poll, much like a preseason prediction. I'm just surprised Notre Dame and Washington aren't higher, as traditionally is the case.

Incoming freshman rarely have a large impact on a team. Give Lanning time to fill those spots with his guys, the process is going on right now. Fear not, Mario's game will continue down in Miami. For those who long for Cristoball, tune in and try and stay focused. The games will be on earlier, but it will still be hard to stay awake. It will be interesting to watch the two programs as we go forward. I just don't want to have to watch Cristoball any more!

Pro qb's do it all the time, but they expect the receiver to adjust and catch the ball! Justin just kept throwing and the Oregon receivers just kept dropping the passes.