Draft Scout Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20 Player News, College Football: Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20

McKinley had 41 tackles with two pass breakups, a forced fumble, recovered fumble and interception last season and if he hadn't missed time due to a targeting penalty, would've done even more. His football IQ is invaluable at the position and with new starters coming in at boundary corner and boundary safety, vital to Oregon's defense. McKinley will make the calls in the backfield and cover the most ground. "He's a coach on the field," safeties coach Marcel Yates said. "He's doing a good job with him being here and playing so much of not being - it's easy for a young man like him to say, 'OK I've been here I don't want to work hard.' For him he comes out every day and he works hard. He's learning the defense still but he knows it the best probably out of anybody in the room. That's always good to have somebody on the sideline helping us out." His size isn't a detriment but if McKinley were 2-3 inches taller he'd offer that much more by way of coverage. - The Oregonian

(DS#6 FS) rJr/2022

FS Verone McKinley III, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

06/01/21 - Mase Funa, rSr/2024, Oregon, 6-2, 254 (DS#44 DE) + More +

The schematic changes coming to Oregon's defense are less pronounced at the strong-side linebacker spot, where Mase Funa returns. The Sam linebacker plays on the boundary side in Tim DeRuyter's defense and is similar to the Stud end in Andy Avalos' system. There are some differences though. "I would say it would be more of the edge more so like 9 (techniques)," Funa said. "I feel like we're playing more of a true outside linebacker position with More Coverages, more drops, while also keeping our edge rush and playing inside on the 6 and (one spring practice) they also had us running in through the 3 tech."

Funa is a multi-year starter and gets somewhat overlooked compared to Kayvon Thibodeaux, Noah Sewell or Isaac Slade-Matautia but is in their same caliber of importance to the Ducks defense. Funa is one of Oregon's players who actually was more productive in the short 2020 season, with 31 tackles, than he was in 2019 (26) despite there being half as many games. That's due in large part to the increased number of reps and portion of snaps for Funa, who should be in for just as big a role this fall. "There's some similarities to it with Avalos' defense, but with all the new installs and everything else, I love it," Funa said of the new defense. - The Oregonian

(DS#44 DE) rSr/2024

DE Mase Funa, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/31/21 - Popo Aumavae, rSr/2024, Oregon, 6-4, 296 (DS#41 DT) + More +

Replacing a four-year starter is never easy and that's what Popo Aumavae will be asked to do for Oregon. Fortunately, this wasn't a plan hatched over a few months or via the transfer portal. The Ducks have loaded up the interior of their defensive line over the years in order to be ready to replace Jordon Scott, Austin Faoliu and others and Aumavae was among the early additions. He's had multiple years to play as the No. 2 nose tackle, closing 2019 strong and getting limited action last season. As important as Aumavae's readiness for the increased rep count will be at the top of the depth chart, the rotation behind him will be nearly as critical as several players vying to be on the two-deep have little game experience.

"These guys are truly competing," defensive line coach Joe Salave'a said. "We really have a real high competition going on within our defensive front room but it needs to be for us to grow and get to the level that we know we can be. That's the only way. Those guys have embraced that and they're helping each other, they're challenging each other." Aumavae had 10 tackles in just five games last season but there's not as much to make of his play in the short year until the last couple of weeks. He showed flashes of the kind of impact he can make as a starter during the 2019 season, when he had 15 stops with five for loss, including 3.5 sacks. - The Oregonian

(DS#41 DT) rSr/2024

DT Popo Aumavae, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/30/21 - Brandon Dorlus, rSr/2024, Oregon, 6-3, 283 (DS#9 DT) + More +

The interior of Oregon's defensive line is the position group seeing the biggest overhaul this offseason. Austin Faoliu and Jordon Scott are both gone, off to the NFL as undrafted free agents, and Brandon Dorlus is the most prominent contributor returning to a deep group of defensive tackles. Dorlus, whose 12 tackles were third among Ducks defensive tackles last season, offers a lot of flexibility. He can play anywhere from nose or shade all the way to a traditional end at 4i, 5 or 6 technique depending on the personnel grouping. Third-year redshirt-freshmen Kristian Williams and Keyon Ware-Hudson are both going to see significant increases in playing time and could be among the bigger contributors up front.

Dorlus had seven of his 12 tackles in Oregon's final three games, including both of his stops for loss and sack. He's quickly developed into one of UO's better interior linemen and a legitimate every-down player. His performance in the Pac-12 Championship game, mainly lined up against USC's Alijah Vera-Tucker, a first-round draft pick, was spectacular. For a former three-star recruit who the coaching staff more or less discovered thanks to recruiting Ge'mon Eaford out of the same high school, Dorlus is already outperforming his recruiting ranking. He was starting by the end of last season and should be the most widely-used defensive lineman on the roster next season. "Finally be part of the equation and to be counted on, it's a big responsibility but I think I'm ready for it," Dorlus said. "I can't wait for the season to start." In base, he'll play a 2i or 3 technique but Dorlus shouldn't leave the field on third-and-long and that wasn't said for Faoliu or Scott. - The Oregonian

(DS#9 DT) rSr/2024

DT Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/30/21 - Dillon Gabriel, rSr/2025, Oregon, 5-11, 205 (DS#12 QB) + More +

Gabriel has averaged 3,611 passing yards through his first two seasons and it's safe to assume when he wraps up the 2021 campaign, he could wind up holding several of the school's career records. He cut his interception percentage from Year 1 (1.76%) to Year 2 (0.97%) in half while increasing his touchdown-to-interception ratio from 4.14 to 8. To put it in perspective, during his Heisman Trophy season in 2019, former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow's interception percentage was 1.14% and his touchdown-to-interception ratio was 10. Gabriel will be a junior so there's always a chance he returns in 2022 but another solid season could be enough to draw his interest at the next level. - Orlando Sentinel

(DS#12 QB) rSr/2025

QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
News Source: Orlando Sentinel
Share/Comment: Here

05/19/21 - T.J. Bass, rSr/2023, Oregon, 6-4, 321 (DS#20 OG) + More +

One of the bigger changes to Oregon's starting lineup last season, T.J. Bass asserted himself at left guard despite a limited offseason and was a consistent performer in his first year as an FBS starter. Bass had the unenviable task of replacing Shane Lemieux, who was drafted higher than any of the graduating UO offensive linemen from 2019. Yet the junior college transfer was able to earn Pac-12 offensive lineman of the week in just his second game. Now Bass is one of six returning regular contributors up front and even without playing in the spring game it's evident that he'll remain a starter in the fall. Mario Cristobal's take..."T.J. Bass is a very physically dominant player. I think his name gets lost out there, he doesn't get much of the credit but he's really becoming something special." - The Oregonian

(DS#20 OG) rSr/2023

OG T.J. Bass, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/19/21 - Alex Forsyth, rSr/2023, Oregon, 6-4, 303 (DS#9 C) + More +

Forsyth took over as the starter in the spring of 2020 and hasn't looked back. He makes the protection calls up front for a group that allowed 11 sacks over seven games, which ranked 29th nationally. Considering Oregon's entire line was new starters, that's an impressive debut albeit in a shortened season. However, there is room for improvement for the group. The Ducks didn't face three of the top five teams in the Pac-12 in sacks last season and their run protection is an area of emphasis this offseason. "We always say five men, one mind," Forsyth said. "You got to be on the same page. Whether I'm making the call the tackle has got to know why is he making that call versus what front. Everybody's got to know the holistic picture of everything if we want to be five minds as one. I think that's a big thing we're trying to emphasize this spring, five guys got to play as one. That's when we're most powerful."

Forsyth is a critical piece for Oregon to improve in those areas in 2021 and also in aiding Jonathan Denis and Jackson Powers-Johnson while they serve with the second and third-teams. Mario Cristobal's take..."Alex Forsyth, of course as a leader because he's a guy that's started for us. Dawson Jaramillo has done a really good job...The young guys still continuing to shine; Jonathan Denis, I got to single him out because he's jumped in there, him and Marcus Harper, at multiple positions and they are playing hard for playing time." - The Oregonian

(DS#9 C) rSr/2023

C Alex Forsyth, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/18/21 - Bo Nix, rSr/2024, Oregon, 6-2, 214 (DS#6 QB) + More +

The Auburn Tigers will be playing in primetime when they travel to Penn State this September. ESPN announced Tuesday that Auburn's road game at No. 22 Penn State will kick off at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised on ABC. The game stands as the Tigers' first road trip of 2021 after starting the year at home against Akron on Sept. 4 and against Alabama State on Sept. 11. Auburn enters the fall with first-year head coach Bryan Harsin following a 2020 season in which the Tigers posted a 6-5 record against an all-SEC schedule. Penn State, meanwhile, went 4-5 in head coach James Franklin's first losing season with the Nittany Lions. - Opelika-Auburn News

(DS#6 QB) rSr/2024

QB Bo Nix, Oregon
News Source: Opelika-Auburn News
Share/Comment: Here

05/17/21 - George Moore, rSr/2022, Oregon, 6-6, 312 (DS#39 OT) + More +

Even in an era of sixth-year super seniors, George Moore is the eldest statesman at Oregon. The left tackle is entering his seventh year of college football. The fall will be Moore's second as a full-time starter for the Ducks, who return all six of their top offensive linemen. "We definitely give George a lot of grief for how old he is," right guard Ryan Walk said. "He's older than our (graduate assistant)." Moore refers to himself as a "big kid" and considering he's 24 when four of his fellow offensive linemen are 18, it's nothing if not amusing. "I don't want to say I act childish but I'm just a cool laid back guy," he said. "Ryan (Walk) and Alex (Forsyth), I'm been with them so long they honestly don't even see me as the age I am, they see me fit in as they age group. It is weird being the older guy here but it is what it is and I'm here to play and I'm embracing it till I leave here."

Moore told offensive line coach Alex Mirabal he'd be returning for another year as the Fiesta Bowl was ending. "We didn't finish the way we wanted to and honesty these guys here, the guys that I started with, I want to play with them as much as I can," Moore said. "We worked so hard, that 2017 class when I came in with Ryan Walk and Alex. A lot of people fell off and they worked so hard, I love to work with them because they push me to be a better player each and every day as I go out there I see them in their eyes I know they're going out there to go to work. That pushed me to come back to chase the dream that we want to go win a championship again." - The Oregonian

(DS#39 OT) rSr/2022

OT George Moore, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/13/21 - Johnny Johnson III, rSr/2022, Oregon, 6-0, 196 (DS#50 WR) + More +

Johnson had 19 catches for 267 yards and two touchdowns last season, which was a significant drop on a per game basis and he didn't have a 100-yard game. How much of that was due to the short season, new starting QB, new offense or relatively low number of plays? All of the above. Johnson came back for a fifth year and he's going to be a major contributor, whether at X, Z or Y. "It's good to have good dudes in the room and more athletes that you got to compete with to ensure that you got to earn your job; it's not just given to you," Johnson said. "That's something I'm going to have to do when I get to the next level, deal with competition. That's something I thrive off of and it's going to continue to get this room better." - The Oregonian

(DS#50 WR) rSr/2022

WR Johnny Johnson III, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/13/21 - *Noah Sewell, rSo/2023, Oregon, 6-2, 246 (DS#4 ILB) + More +

Penei Sewell will have to wait a little bit longer before making his first appearance on the NFL practice field. The Detroit Lions will be without Sewell, their 2021 first-round pick, when they hold their rookie minicamp this week after Sewell announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19. "Found out this past weekend I tested positive for COVID," Sewell wrote on Twitter. "Really wish I was heading to my new home today and able to be at mini-camp with my new teammates and coaches. Look forward to getting out to the D as soon as I'm cleared!" The Lions selected Sewell - who opted out last season at Oregon due to the pandemic - with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft and he is expected to start at right tackle for the team. - The Oregonian

(DS#4 ILB) rSo/2023

ILB *Noah Sewell, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/12/21 - *Kayvon Thibodeaux, rSo/2022, Oregon, 6-4, 256 (DS#3 DE) + More +

There are many potential suitors for the first overall pick in 2022 NFL draft. Among them is one of Oregon's stars. Ducks defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is third on the list of players favored by PointsBet sportsbook to hear his name called first at +400 odds. Thibodeaux is behind Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler (+225) and North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell (+350) near the top of the list. Other college football stars on the list are LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (+800), USC quarterback Kedon Slovis (+1000), Liberty quarterback Malik Willis (+1500), Georgia quarterback JT Daniels (+1800), Florida quarterback Emory Jones (+2000), Arizona State quarterback Jayden Daniels (+2000) and Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton (+2500). - The Oregonian

(DS#3 DE) rSo/2022

DE *Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
News Source: The Oregonian
Share/Comment: Here

05/02/21 - *Penei Sewell, Jr/2021, Oregon, 6-5, 331 (DS#1 OT) + More +

Penei Sewell is the first Oregon offensive lineman selected in the first round of the NFL draft since Kyle Long in 2013. Penei Sewell spent draft night at the family home in St. George, Utah, eating Pizza Hut in front of the television instead of bear-hugging NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the stage in Cleveland. Mario Cristobal, the head of the 6-foot-6, 330-pound left tackle's Oregon football family, flew in for the festivities with defensive line coach Joe Salave'a after the Ducks' spring practice Thursday. About an hour into the first round, Sewell was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 7 overall pick in 2021 NFL draft.

"It's the world," Sewell said after realizing his American dream after spending most of his childhood living in a one-bedroom house in American Samoa. "Every time I think of this moment, I go back to that shack on the island with all my family. When we were all in the living room sleeping on that floor in that shack, and now look at us. "I'm in a position to really change my family dynamic and also play at the level I wanted to play my whole life. To be a part of the NFL and the Detroit Lions organization is nothing but a dream come true." - Register Guard

(DS#1 OT) Jr/2021

OT *Penei Sewell, Oregon
News Source: Register Guard
Share/Comment: Here

04/30/21 - Patrick Herbert, rSr/2025, Oregon, 6-5, 249 (DS#35 TE) + More +

Oregon Patrick Herbert hasn't played for the Ducks since the 2019 season after injuries forced him to miss last season. Justin Herbert didn't get a chance to complete a pass to his little brother during the 2019 season. Tyler Shough didn't get a chance to complete a pass to Patrick Herbert or Spencer Webb during the 2020 season. Anthony Brown, who has taken all of the first-team snaps during Oregon's 13 spring practices so far, expects to be utilizing both of the talented tight ends during the 2021 season.

The 6-foot-6, 244-pound Herbert and the 6-6, 240-pound Webb have been making plays again after injuries prevented them both from playing last fall. "Spencer Webb has always been there. Patrick Herbert is doing really well," Brown said when asked which tight ends have been playing with the first team. "I haven't really been able to work with the young guys yet, but I'll probably get some work in with them in the summer." Oregon loses Hunter Kampmoyer to graduation after he led the Ducks' tight ends with 14 receptions for 161 yards and three touchdowns in Joe Moorhead's first season as offensive coordinator. - Register Guard

(DS#35 TE) rSr/2025

TE Patrick Herbert, Oregon
News Source: Register Guard
Share/Comment: Here

04/29/21 - Anthony Brown Jr., rSr/2022, Oregon, 6-1, 217 (DS#18 QB) + More +

What has the last year been like for Anthony Brown? More of a nightmare than the Oregon dream he had growing up. "Considering everything, just to keep it short, it's been an experience," Brown said after the Ducks' spring practice Tuesday. "Something that's hard to explain, and it would take me all day to explain it, so I'll just leave it at that." Brown arrived in Eugene last April as a graduate transfer planning to compete for the starting quarterback job Justin Herbert had held for the previous four seasons. Due to the pandemic, many of Brown's new teammates had packed their bags and headed home. So the 6-foot-2, 226-pound former Boston College standout did his best to stay sharp in isolation.

Without the benefit of spring practice or a normal fall camp, Brown wasn't able to overtake Tyler Shough ahead of the truncated 2020 season. After finally getting snaps on the Pac-12 championship game and Fiesta Bowl, Brown decided to return to Oregon. "Just having faith," Brown said. "Sticking it out here, I feel like was my best option. I felt like there was a lot more to take from this opportunity. We're still here and we're still grinding." Brown has taken all of the first-team reps with the Ducks during spring practice and is the heavy favorite to be the starter on Sept. 4 against Fresno State. - Register Guard

(DS#18 QB) rSr/2022

QB Anthony Brown Jr., Oregon
News Source: Register Guard
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes

|Back to Page One|

Next 15 Notes

Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 56

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 57

Oregon Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

** Draft Scout Data **
(Everything Online PLUS)

Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

Draft Scout Archives

** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **
(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done

80% Innovated

45% Hidden

35% Built

2025 CFB/2025-2029 NFL Draft Scout

2024 CFB/2024-2028 NFL Draft Scout

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

NFL Draft Scout History

2022 Draft Scout

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

Oregon Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

Support Draft Scout

Draft Scout Archives

Draft Scout Future

Synergization

Did You Know?

Hidden Designs

Future Development