Flock Talk: Don't You (Forget About Me)

 

Taking Nothing For Granted 

Some moments stop you. They strip away the noise, the routines, the deadlines — everything we convince ourselves matters most — and leave you face to face with what actually does.

Last Saturday brought one of those moments for me. It’s not something I’ll write about in detail, but I’ll say this: life has a way of reminding you how fragile “normal” really is. How quickly expectations can shift. How easily we can take the everyday for granted.

And strangely enough, as I’ve been processing that, I keep coming back to everything we’ve covered these past four weeks about Oregon football — the interviews, the scrimmages, the shifting depth charts, the relentless competition. Football isn’t life. But sometimes the lessons overlap in ways you don’t expect.

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The Illusion of Guarantees

This August has been one long reminder that nothing in this sport is guaranteed.

Oregon’s 2025 roster might be Dan Lanning’s deepest and most talented yet. Dante Moore has stepped fully into the role of QB1, the offensive line has solidified, the tight ends have turned into matchup nightmares, and Tosh Lupoi’s secondary looks prepared to stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the Big Ten.

But depth isn’t immunity.

We’ve seen players rise and others get pushed. Roles have shifted. Jobs have been earned, not given. Lupoi talked about it bluntly:

“We’ve got some quality players there and hungry players,” he said. “Every single day we come to work, we’re fighting for our jobs.”

It’s football’s harshest truth: what’s on paper means nothing when reality shows up.

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Scrimmages, Setbacks, and Shifting Edges

The Ducks’ first scrimmage belonged to the defense — constant pressure, disguised coverages, a secondary finally playing with swagger. By their own admission, the offense “got kicked around” that day.

But the second scrimmage flipped the script. Moore steadied the offense, receivers gained separation, and the offense carved out its best rhythm of camp.

And yet, afterward, players and coaches kept coming back to the same message: stack days. Earn everything. Nothing carries over.

That resonates differently right now. Football has a way of exposing a universal truth: stability is fleeting. The work is daily. The next moment isn’t promised.

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Culture, Connection, and Choosing Gratitude

Culture has been a quiet constant across this entire preseason. Dante Moore’s growth as a leader. Kenyon Sadiq calling this a “player-driven” locker room. A’lique Terry reshaping the offensive line with equal parts toughness and trust.

But culture isn’t something you set and forget. It’s rebuilt one decision at a time, one day at a time.

And maybe that’s the real connection between Oregon’s preseason and the rest of life: gratitude isn’t automatic either. It’s something we have to practice intentionally — for the people we love, for the work we get to do, for another season to witness these stories unfold.

“Hoping for the best, but expecting the worst…”
— Alphaville, “Forever Young”

The lyric hits harder this week. There’s weight in those words. Hope and fragility coexist more closely than we realize.

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From August to Autumn

Montana State comes first, then Oklahoma State, and then the grind of the Big Ten begins. Penn State’s defensive front looms. Wisconsin’s disguised pressures await. USC and Washington linger late.

Oregon enters the season with playoff aspirations, yes, but also with a deeper understanding of what it takes to get there.

Nothing is guaranteed — not health, not momentum, not the next rep, not even the next moment.

And maybe that’s the point. Whether it’s on the practice fields in Eugene or holding on to the people we love most, there’s no such thing as ordinary. Every day matters. Every moment matters.

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MONTANA STATE VISITOR LIST

Dane Weber – QB – Chaparral HS (Temecula, CA)

6-2, 210 | Class of 2027

Oregon has quietly begun evaluating Weber as one of the top quarterback prospects in Southern California for the 2027 class. As a sophomore at Chaparral last season, he completed 67% of his passes for 2,660 yards and 27 touchdowns against only three interceptions across 11 games.

Weber’s athleticism adds another dimension to his game — he also rushed for 834 yards and 11 more scores, showcasing a dual-threat skill set that fits seamlessly into Will Stein’s offensive system. While the Ducks are unlikely to push hard for 2027 quarterback commitments this early, establishing relationships now could prove critical once their board begins to crystallize later this cycle.

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Eli Woodard – WR – Chaparral HS (Temecula, CA)

6-0, 175 | Class of 2027

Woodard, one of Weber’s top weapons at Chaparral, is an explosive playmaker who has already drawn interest from multiple Power Five programs despite just entering his junior year. Oregon has been monitoring his development closely, particularly his ability to stretch defenses vertically and create separation against press coverage.

Getting Woodard on campus early in his recruitment allows the Ducks’ staff to build familiarity and trust — something Dan Lanning’s program has emphasized as a cornerstone of its long-term recruiting success.

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Looking Ahead

This weekend’s visitor list is relatively short, but it reflects a larger strategic shift for Oregon in September. With the Ducks already holding one of the strongest 2026 foundations in the country, the staff can afford to look ahead to 2027 while staying patient and selective on their remaining 2026 targets.

Expect the visitor lists to grow significantly as the schedule progresses — particularly for marquee home games like USC later this fall. But weekends like this one are where relationships with the next wave of priority prospects quietly begin.

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