I'm back from Thursday practice. I have a few notes for you and then I'll add the videos and photos etc.
I watched the CB's quite a bit today. I actually think they are going to be very good. Lenoir and Graham are both clearly Pac-12 level guys, but I think McKinley and Haki Woods are looking good as well. I'm not sure there are more guys than that two-deep ready yet but I do think the Ducks will be solid at CB.
I also watched the ILB group work with Coach Leavitt too. He does a great job with them and they have his routine down. It is a very efficient 20 minutes they start practice with practicing movement, concentration, hands, feet and explosiveness. Good stuff. And this is coming from somebody who played interior LB in college.
In terms of ILB, I actually think the Ducks have good depth with Apelu stepping back from injury and looking good. Dye, Apelu, Slade-Mautatia, Niu and Adrian Jackson all can play now. MJ Cunningham has a little more work to do to be Pac-12 ready but is not too far off. That would make six guys...a three-deep!
The DL group has a lot of power but without seeing them against the OL, I can't tell how many of them are ready at this point. Fat Mac obviously, Jalen Jelks obviously. I can't imagine they really want to move him to OLB very bad because he is great at DE. But if they have a heavy package with Jelks at OLB, hmmmm. Austin Faoliu is ready.
I want to say Gary Baker, Popo Aumavae and Gus Cumberlander are too but with those three again, I would like to see them live against the OL before saying anything definitive. Baker and Aumavae both have improving technique and power.
