Five Super Sleepers 2009

[MFRDuckFan]

A few that stick out for me...... not necessarily sleepers, but those that could possibly contribute early. Thoughts?

Arden, Keaton DL
Cole, Nick WR
Harris, Cliff CB
Lane, Braxton WR

[razduck12]

Are you kidding me?

Braxton Lane might not even show up to Oregon if he gets drafted and see other comments on Cole.
Nick Cole will be redshirted he is not going to contribute over Drew Davis, Jackson, Harper, Maehl, Dion Jordan...
Arden redshirt....He is not playing over the JC guys or Celotto, Rowe, Tukuafu, and Dominic Glover

The sleeper who will have the biggest impact is Jackson Rice, could be a weapon or liabilty, he will easily beat out Taylor. Remember how bad punting was before Syria it was a major liability. We have to have big play from him.

[MFRDuckFan]

Are you kidding me?

Braxton Lane might not even show up to Oregon if he gets drafted and see other comments on Cole.
Nick Cole will be redshirted he is not going to contribute over Drew Davis, Jackson, Harper, Maehl, Dion Jordan...
Arden redshirt....He is not playing over the JC guys or Celotto, Rowe, Tukuafu, and Dominic Glover

The sleeper who will have the biggest impact is Jackson Rice, could be a weapon or liabilty, he will easily beat out Taylor. Remember how bad punting was before Syria it was a major liability. We have to have big play from him.

Let's say Lane does show up - redshirt?
I don't think I necessarily agree with you on Cole - he's played both sides of the ball. I haven't seen other comments on him, so I'll have to investigate what you're saying. I've seen film & yes, he needs some bulk, but I like what I saw.
So you agree with me on Harris?
Perhaps Benyard fills a slot? The kid is absolutely HUGE.

I know this is all speculation, so we won't really know anything until they show up & step up.

[Oracle]

I've said this before but will again:

Almost all of the HS kids will be RS. Diante has a shot to get playing time next year. The JC guys on the DL have opportunities to play and even start. Few others do.

Oregon is no longer a bottom feeder that has real opportunities for incoming freshmen to start right away. There's too much talent at most positions for the HS kids to beat out and get meaningful playing time.

That's not to say that these kids don't have great talent but the guys we have at WR, LB, DB etc. are also talented and have a year or two, at least, learning, working with the coaches, getting bigger and stronger....

I, for one, hope that the players already on the team can beat out any of the guys from the incoming class. That will mean that our team is good and that these kids will have a RS year. If you believe that the kids learn from the coaches and the coaches make them better then you should hope for everybody who isn't going to get real, meaningful, minutes to RS. That way they are here for 5 years and will have more time with the coaches to get better.

How nice would it be if Dixon had gotten a RS year? How about Scott, Paysinger, Colvin...

I know a lot of guys want to see these guys come in and contribute, since we've talked about them all year, but it's better for the team if they don't end up having to play this year.

[dthomas=ddixon]

Great post Oracle.

Last year was the first time I really followed recruiting closely & I was so hyped up over the 4*s we got, I was expecting all of them to come in & start. I was even thinking DThomas would come in be the starter at QB.

Obviously that isn't the reality at all. Though they come here being some of the most talented & potential filled players on the team, they have so much to learn it automatically puts them below any player with college football experience.

Also, like you said, we have become a much deeper team & these players come in as just one of many 4*s because of great recruiting. The days of guys like Haloti & Colvin coming in & automatically being the best player on the team are over. In the past Diante would be coming in as one of the best WRs, not anymore. Now he's got 4-5 guys ahead of him that were just as highly rated as him coming out.

I do think the JCs always have a chance to play right away, just look at Blount & Masoli. The fact that our D-line is pretty thin also helps that fact.

[karlhungis]

A few that stick out for me...... not necessarily sleepers, but those that could possibly contribute early. Thoughts?

Arden, Keaton DL
Cole, Nick WR
Harris, Cliff CB
Lane, Braxton WR

I agree with Oracle on this one.

Keaton won't beat out the JC guys if he ends up on the DL. Didn't the coaches say that he wasn't even going to be on the D Line?
I also have a hard time picturing Cole beating out any of our current WR's so I can't imagine him getting any PT this year.
Harris I could see getting some PT and possibly being an early contributor though.
With Lane not playing football last year, I find it hard to imagine him coming in and playing much this season. I would think that he Redshirts and gets back up to speed if he even plays at all.

[VinnyKnuckles]

Keaton won't beat out the JC guys if he ends up on the DL. Didn't the coaches say that he wasn't even going to be on the D Line?
I also have a hard time picturing Cole beating out any of our current WR's so I can't imagine him getting any PT this year.
Harris I could see getting some PT and possibly being an early contributor though.
With Lane not playing football last year, I find it hard to imagine him coming in and playing much this season. I would think that he Redshirts and gets back up to speed if he even plays at all.

Lane is a unique case with the baseball situation though. If he ever does play football for the Ducks, it might not make sense to redshirt him since he probably wouldn't be around for 5 years anyway, unless his baseball stock goes into the tank. It will be interesting to see what kind of an effect not playing football last year has. If he can get up to speed quickly, I wouldn't be shocked to see him become a serious candidate to return punts next season since he appears to be very sure handed, has great quickness and obviously has a lot of experience tracking balls in the air. He also might prove to be a good candidate to run the fly sweep a couple times a game.

I hope Cliff Harris redshirts, if he makes it in. He would benefit greatly from it. In my opinion, the only reason the coaches would choose not to redshirt him is if they don't have much confidence in players such as Gildon to provide depth at corner.

Michael Clay is another player that Bellotti singled out as being very smart and polished with the potential to contribute early. I would rather redshirt him, but don't be surprised if the coaches get him in the mix due to what he will bring to the table on special teams.

[MFRDuckFan]

I don't underestimate any of the new guys, even the freshmen. I don't necessarily believe that a redshirt is a mandatory step for every incoming freshman. I think the coaches want every kid to have the drive to contribute right away. If the kid shows the skill and beats out the older guys, he plays. Since we're sitting here in February & most of the kids haven't even shown up on campus yet, I have my favorites written down and it will be interesting to see if any of the guys on my list ultimately start. It's just a guessing game right now.

[duckgrad99]

I would say that Harris might have a chance to play next year, but the rest of those guys are probably guaranteed redshirts. You never know with injuries though.

[lukeyrid13]

I would say don't redshirt Cliff Harris. I don't see any way that he would be here 5 years because of his talent so you might as well get him some game experience is first year because he will most likely start next year......The only one on that list that I personally think could play is Nick Cole. Yeah he's a 2 star guy but his video really looked like a 4* IYAM. I have said it in another thread but he has some unbelievable burst and has about 25 lbs on Jeff Maehl. I really think he can be a good one.

[Oracle]

Great post Oracle.

Last year was the first time I really followed recruiting closely & I was so hyped up over the 4*s we got, I was expecting all of them to come in & start. I was even thinking DThomas would come in be the starter at QB.

Obviously that isn't the reality at all. Though they come here being some of the most talented & potential filled players on the team, they have so much to learn it automatically puts them below any player with college football experience.

Also, like you said, we have become a much deeper team & these players come in as just one of many 4*s because of great recruiting. The days of guys like Haloti & Colvin coming in & automatically being the best player on the team are over. In the past Diante would be coming in as one of the best WRs, not anymore. Now he's got 4-5 guys ahead of him that were just as highly rated as him coming out.

I do think the JCs always have a chance to play right away, just look at Blount & Masoli. The fact that our D-line is pretty thin also helps that fact.

Thanks,

I heard what Bellotti said about Clay. Littlejohn is another guy who has the physical tools (I know he's a JC and has had a couple extra years) but our notoriously complex defensive scheme requires the LB's to make a lot of reads at the LOS and takes a year or two to learn.

There was a comment by Pellum I read about Jerome Boyd finally starting to really play well now that he had fully learned the system... This was at the start of this last year!!!!! He was a freaking senior!

For that reason I hate seeing them recruit JC LB's. It seems that by the time they can pick up Nick's scheme they are graduated.

Maybe Boyd was a slow learner or whatever, and I know you can't pass up a talent like Bryson but I don't see a lot of need to be recruiting JC LBs in the future. We have more talent there than anywhere else on the field.

[Oracle]

I would say don't redshirt Cliff Harris. I don't see any way that he would be here 5 years because of his talent so you might as well get him some game experience is first year because he will most likely start next year......The only one on that list that I personally think could play is Nick Cole. Yeah he's a 2 star guy but his video really looked like a 4* IYAM. I have said it in another thread but he has some unbelievable burst and has about 25 lbs on Jeff Maehl. I really think he can be a good one.

What makes you think Cliff Harris would leave early? Sure he has the potential but we have other 4* kids who couldn't beat out either WTIII or Byrd for a starting spot. WT is coming back for his senior year and Byrd isn't going to be a first day pick in all liklihood.

Cliff looks very good and could turn out to be all world and leave early. There is a better chance, though, that he will not be spectacular and will play until his elegibility is gone. The college football landscape is littered with 4* HS kids who never played on Sundays. To assume that he will is a stretch IMO.

I would RS him if it was me. Unless he can win a starting job. If he does that then play him!

I'm all for putting the best 11 guys on the field. I just hate not redshirting a kid for a few junk minutes and then regretting it later when you could have really used them for another year and they aren't great pro prospects anyway and would have loved to play another year.

That's all.

[VinnyKnuckles]

What makes you think Cliff Harris would leave early? Sure he has the potential but we have other 4* kids who couldn't beat out either WTIII or Byrd for a starting spot. WT is coming back for his senior year and Byrd isn't going to be a first day pick in all liklihood.

Cliff looks very good and could turn out to be all world and leave early. There is a better chance, though, that he will not be spectacular and will play until his elegibility is gone. The college football landscape is littered with 4* HS kids who never played on Sundays. To assume that he will is a stretch IMO.

I would RS him if it was me. Unless he can win a starting job. If he does that then play him!

I'm all for putting the best 11 guys on the field. I just hate not redshirting a kid for a few junk minutes and then regretting it later when you could have really used them for another year and they aren't great pro prospects anyway and would have loved to play another year.

That's all.

Agreed. In my opinion, people are getting a little too carried away with the Cliff Harris hype. I am thrilled the Ducks got him, but I wouldn't automatically assume we have a future All-American on our hands. He isn't exactly a burner and has a lot of work to do in terms of strengthening his body for the college level. Also, I know the reports of him during the Army All-American practices were glowing (which gives me a lot of hope), but there are some clips out there from the 1 on 1 drills that show some receivers getting open pretty easily on him.

I remember when recruiting guru Greg Biggins declared that Marques Binns was the #1 "cover corner" on the West Coast. Everyone was thrilled when the Ducks got him. Needless to say, things didn't quite work out as expected. He was another thin guy that had a lot of work to do on his body for the college level....it isn't a given that it will ever happen. Binns would have benefited greatly from a redshirt year...

[duckgrad99]

Agreed. In my opinion, people are getting a little too carried away with the Cliff Harris hype. I am thrilled the Ducks got him, but I wouldn't automatically assume we have a future All-American on our hands. He isn't exactly a burner and has a lot of work to do in terms of strengthening his body for the college level. Also, I know the reports of him during the Army All-American practices were glowing (which gives me a lot of hope), but there are some clips out there from the 1 on 1 drills that show some receivers getting open pretty easily on him.

I remember when recruiting guru Greg Biggins declared that Marques Binns was the #1 "cover corner" on the West Coast. Everyone was thrilled when the Ducks got him. Needless to say, things didn't quite work out as expected. He was another thin guy that had a lot of work to do on his body for the college level....it isn't a given that it will ever happen. Binns would have benefited greatly from a redshirt year...[/quote]



Another example is Willy Glasper, who scout had as the #6 ranked CB like Harris. The bottom line: You just never know who will work out and who won't.

[jimmyg]

A few that stick out for me...... not necessarily sleepers, but those that could possibly contribute early. Thoughts?

Arden, Keaton DL
Cole, Nick WR
Harris, Cliff CB
Lane, Braxton WR

Wow, I have to question the football knowledge on this to have Arden, Lane and Cole as early contributors, wow.