A short video of Ken Wilson working with the linebackers, emphasizing techniques that lead to turnovers.

Most teams work on drills like this at practice, but it's particularly vital for the Ducks. They were 121st in the country last season in turnover margin at -1.29.

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4-star cornerback from St. Louis, Missouri:

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JT Tuimoloau

The Ducks miss SC in the PAC-12 schedule rotation this year. Instead they have a road trip to UCLA on October 23rd.

Still the Trojans will always be a factor in the conference race and a contender, simply because location and tradition give them some tremendous recruiting boosts, however they may squander them.

In the War Room today Scott wrote:

USC is teetering on a precipice of disaster; their methodology is a high-risk, boom or bust approach to recruiting on two levels. If somehow a team with elite defensive backs and below average offensive line play can win a Pac-12 Title, make the playoff and have a good showing, it cold set up the Trojans for another run like that we saw from 2002-08; but if they cannot seem to break through, what did they gain from a few extra defensive backs in 2021-22? The answer is nothing.

Criticism is mounting in L.A. also. Writer Matt Zemek of Trojans Wire wrote last week that Helton "doesn't pay attention to details," citing that as the chief reason the program constantly underachieves.


One of the flaws of USC football in recent years speaks to the lack of precision the Trojans have on offense. When you watch USC’s offense, the talent and the raw material are evident, but it is just as clear that the potential of an offensive unit isn’t fully realized. There is a large gulf between reality and possibility, between the actual state of the offense and the vision of what everything might look like if the offense functioned properly.

It seems like Helton has been on the hot seat forever. From the perspective of Duck fans, it'd be best if the beleaguered coach accomplished just enough to keep his job forever.

This off season Helton and his staff have sold out on free agency: USC has picked up 7 players from the transfer portal:

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There have also been some notable defections, including 5-star linebacker Palaie Gaoteote to Ohio State, running backs Stephen Carr and Markese Stepp, defensive tackle Caleb Tremblay.

For a team with glaring roster imbalance and culture issues, creating unity and chemistry out of all this roster movement will be a challenge.

On the field, the Trojans chief weapons are the two Drakes, edge rusher Drake Jackson and wide receiver Drake London, who is moving from slot to the outside this season. Bru McCoy is also a dangerous weapon, and the secondary is loaded with talent, probably too much talent.

The offensive line, as Scott pointed out, is in a state of flux. They gave up 9 sacks in the spring game, signed only three recruits after allowing 15 sacks in 6 games last season, 10th in the conference.

Helton apparently doesn't understand that a strong football team is built from the ground up.

It was under the couch cushions the whole time. Not sure if they have room for JTT now.

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The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors college football’s best in character and performance. The award is unique because it represents the first college football award to give equal weight to personal character as well as athletic performance from a defensive college player and is the first national college football award based on the West Coast.

The IMPACT award is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate excellence in the field of athletics and recognizes college football’s Defensive Player of the Year who best exemplifies the IMPACT acronym: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.


--Watch list announcements become a kind of "who's who" in college football. Hundreds of players make them, although Thibodeaux truly is an exceptional football player.

The best part about watch list season is that it means football is almost here. Just 79 days until the Ducks tee it up against Fresno State.

EUGENE – The American Baseball Coaches Coaches Association named Oregon outfielder Aaron Zavala and starting pitcher Robert Ahlstrom to the 2021 ABCA/Rawlings Division I West All-Region teams on Wednesday.

Zavala is a member of the first team, joining starting pitcher David Peterson (2017) and first baseman Ryon Healy (2013) as the only Ducks’ earning first-team honors since the return of baseball in 2009. Ahlstrom is the seventh Duck selected to the second team joining fellow pitchers Kenyon Yovan (2017), Stephen Nogosek (2016), Jake Reed (2014) and Jimmy Sherfy (2013), as well as third baseman Mitchell Tolman (2015) and shortstop J.J. Altobelli (2013).

Zavala, who has also been named the Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, a Collegiate Baseball second-team All-American and the NCBWA Region 9 Player of the Year, ended the season batting .392 with nine home runs, 38 RBI and 64 runs scored, while boasting a .525 on-base percentage and a .626 slugging percentage. He led the Ducks in batting average, runs, hits (78), slugging percentage, walks (50) and stolen bases (11). He set school records for on-base percentage, runs scored and walks.

After the regular season ended, the Keizer, Ore., native ranked second nationally in OBP (.001 behind the national leader), seventh in base on balls, ninth in base on balls per game (0.96) and 18th in batting average. He led the Pac-12 Conference in on-base percentage, walks and base on balls per game, while ranking second in batting average, sixth in hits per game and seventh in slugging percentage and hits.

He ended the season being named to the Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team batting .333 (6-for-18) with two home runs, four RBI and six runs scored.

Ahlstrom, a Eugene native who also claimed first-team All-Pac-12 honors, finished the season 9-3 with a 2.50 ERA while making 14 starts. He allowed just 25 earned runs on 77 hits in 90.0 innings while striking out 92 and walking just 16 with opposing batters hitting just .231 against him. He earned Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week honors three times, with two of those coming after dominating performances against rival Oregon State and the third coming against Washington. Oregon’s Friday night starter for most of the season, Ahlstrom picked up wins in his last seven starts while allowing two-or-fewer runs in four of the seven. He led the Pac-12 in ERA, while ranking second in wins, fourth in innings pitched, sixth in opposing batting average and sixth is strikeouts. He also became the first Ducks’ pitcher to be named to the league’s all-defensive team.

Ahlstrom ended the season being named to the Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team after picking up a win in a quality start over Gonzaga to help the Ducks into the championship game. He allowed three runs on seven hits in 8.0 innings with six strikeouts and one walk in a 7-3 Oregon win. Ahlstrom held Gonzaga scoreless over the final five innings of his outing.

All-Time ABCA/Rawlings All-Region Honors

First Team

2021 - Aaron Zavala (OF)

2017 – David Peterson (P)

2013 – Ryon Healy (1B)

Second Team

2021 – Robert Ahlstrom (P)

2017 – Kenyon Yovan (RP)

2016 – Stephen Nogosek (RP)

2015 – Mitchell Tolman (3B)

2014 – Jake Reed (RP)

2013 – J.J. Altobelli (SS)

2013 – Jimmie Sherfy (RP)

Zavala 2021 Honors and Awards

Ø Collegiate Baseball Second-Team All-America

Ø NCBWA District 9 Player of the Year

Ø ABCA Division I West All-Region First Team

Ø Golden Spikes Award Semifinalist

Ø Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist

Ø Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year

Ø First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference

Ahlstrom 2021 Honors and Awards

Ø ABCA Division I West All-Region Second Team

Ø First-Team All-Pac-12 Conference

Ø Pac-12 Conference All-Defensive Team

Ø 3x Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week

The Cover 3 Podcast discusses the Blue Chip Ratio, the talent needed to win at a high level, and how the star system works:


Bud Elliott developed the model, and it's held up for ten years. A team has to have at least 50% four and five-star players to compete for the national title.

Alabama is at 86%. The Ducks, at 56%, meet the threshold.

The move to a 12-team playoff will likely require a higher ratio, they say.

Quite a feat.

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Working hard to establish an IMG pipeline.

The madness is nearly over for this year. Players have until to July 1 to declare a trabsfer and retain eligibility at the new school for 2021.

There have been some significant moves this off season, several of which could affect the conference race.

Utah has an entirely new backfield, plus wide receiver Puka Nacua from UW. USC has gone all-in on free agency, two new running backs (another one today from TCU) a big NT, defensive backs and receiver K.D. Nixon.

Jon Wilner of the Mercury-News runs it down:

Reviewing Oregon's top choices on the offensive line, and why o-line recruiting is more important than ever.


Please read this story. I need to offset the enormous number of demerits I've accumulated. (Double secret probation, I'm afraid.)

Pretty good analysis of the features and options in Joe Moorhead's RPO-heavy spread attack.

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In the morning they got a commitment from 5-star defensive tackle Mykell Williams and this afternoon they added running back Darwin Barlow of TCU from the transfer portal.

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As a redshirt freshman Barlow ran for 428 yards, 5.9 yards a carry with 4 TDs.

As a high school senior in Newton, Texas he averaged 11.6 yards a carry. He joins Texas trans Keontay Ingram in the reconfigured SC backfield.


Chip Kelly picked up Zach Charbonnet from Michigan State, and today the Bruins got a commitment from a local RB who is 6-0 220.

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With some injuries and attrition in the running back room, the Oregon transfer has a great opportunity to shine at his new school:

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Comparison to Klay Thompson....