DSA Inside Read: Thoughts ahead of media day

 

NOTES AHEAD OF MEDIA DAY

* In an interview with 247, Kenyon Sadiq mentioned that Roger Saleapaga – who had a knee injury deep into the 2024 season is going to be 100% come fall camp. That is a name to look for in media interviews later today.

* Saleapaga was a very fluid looking tight end last season and there was a real thought that he was going to be an elite tight end alongside Sadiq before the injury. We had heard a lot of ‘could be middle of the season’ so this is a best case scenario and good news for the tight end room. This also helps explain why Oregon only took one tight end int eh portal. I had mentioned that sometime in February that the staff might have knowledge of Saleapaga’ s recovery to which we were not privy and it appears that it was good news.

* It should also be noted that the access this year will be more limited than ever. I don’t expect there to be any ‘open sessions’ for a few minutes before select practices like years past, but I don’t think it is because of ‘extra lockdown’ secrecy that is expanded; it is more about the logistics of clearing out reporters with all of the construction that has eliminated the outdoor practice area this season.

* I am also interested to see if the staff continues with their policy of ‘no interviews with true freshmen’ given the hype around some of the guys like Dakorien Moore, Na’Eem Offord, and Trey McNutt. As a matter of necessity, it can be difficult to earn NIL opportunities when freshmen don’t get the chance to engage and interact with the public through interviews.

* I know a lot of attention will be paid to the skill players later today, but I am really interested to hear from the offensive line. Do they have better cohesion heading into the camp this year than last season? Will the talent that is there create better depth than last season? The Ducks don’t have the kind of teams coming in early this season that they did last – but as we saw then, flawed early play by the OL could really derail a season quickly.

RECRUITING NOTES

* The staff still feels as if they are on the right track with Tank Jones. But so too do the staffs at Alabama and Texas A&M feel very comfortable and this is one of those things where the ‘media savviness’ of today’s elite players seems to be better than ever.  

Players know that we have sources within athletic departments, and they know that we are all looking to get a little tidbit that will give us some clue as to where someone is going. Are the Ducks still ‘in it’ for Jones? Yes. Am I ready to predict that the Ducks will pull the shocker? Not yet. This still has the feel of a player who is going to commit to Alabama. I know that this is not the Alabama Jones grew up watching – but the reality is that Alabama has had a tremendous recruiting class, and I know that he has been a priority there for a long time as well as at Oregon.

The Ducks are going to keep pushing – and I expect a commitment in the near future – so we will see if their efforts bear fruit here.

* I know that there are some rumblings about LSU for Deuce Geralds and that is a sleeper school that has always made a lot of sense. He is originally from Baton Rouge and his dad was coached (at Ole Miss) by the current LSU DL coach. But the Ducks have done a lot right here and still feel like they are in a good position as of Sunday night.

* The one I am going to watch closely over the next few days is Davon Benjamin. I have no doubt that Oregon has been a silent leader for a long time, but what I am curious about is North Carolina. The ‘rumor’ about their head coach making an offer to use his pull to help the family of a three-star defensive tackle is a curious one because I doubt that Belichick puts a ton of effort into calling in favors for a three-star defensive tackle. It sure seems like there is a bigger fish that will be a part of his willingness to take action and every time I see a five-star at any position include North Carolina on a final list – especially a west coast player whose other finalists make a little more sense than the ACC school.

Yes, the team making the most noise aside from Oregon is Michigan. They are still pushing hard as well, I am just curious a little bit about North Carolina.

* I like the idea of pushing for Xavier Sabb by the staff, but I still think that one is the longest of long shots. He is an elite player and the old saying that you miss on every swing you don’t take is apropos here. It is early and the relationships will matter at some point down the road and I think that the Ducks are playing this one well early on in the process.

* I am interested to see if Oregon can get some traction on Joshua Dobson. The Ducks offered the Fort Mill (SC) five-star corner over the weekend. He is an elite cover corner and could be a big time player, but he is going to be courted by everyone.