Drew Mehringer talks Terrance Ferguson, Kenyon Sadiq, and Oregon’s talented TE room
As spring practice continues on in Eugene, we’ve had the opportunity to talk to more coaches on the roster outside of head coach Dan Lanning.
On Saturday, it was time to talk to tight ends coach Drew Mehringer, who was made available for the first time since last fall. There was a lot to talk about, including what took place in the scrimmage that the Ducks went through on Saturday morning in Autzen Stadium.
On top of that, Mehringer has a talented group of TEs, though short on scholarship depth. We discussed that, and what its been like working with Will Stein as the new offensive coordinator. Here are some of the best quotes from that conversation.
TE Depth
Question: How do you feel about the depth in the TE room right now with Terrance Ferguson out for the spring?
Mehringer: “Obviously, we’re going to have to figure something out with that. I’ve been talking with Lanning and Will [Stein] and have a really good plan going forward for that, but we’d like to get somebody else in who can help us, if you know what I mean.
Scholarships
Question: Do you think that 3 scholarship guys is enough?
Mehringer: “I think that because the tight end position is so versatile, the more of those guys can play and play effective football, it gives you a lot more options. Whether you are base 12 or base 11, having those abilities… Guys get banged up and stuff like that, so the more people that you have in there that can go in there and play winning football the better.”
Patrick Herbert
Question: How good do you think Patrick Herbert can be this year?
Mehringer: “I think Pat has got a lot of versatility for us. He’s got great hands and he’s really really effective in C-area for us blocking. I think for him to get through a full season healthy was a big deal. I think he’s going to be a very key piece of what we’re trying to do here, not only from an inline place but for playing out wide and doing everything else we saw our tight ends do this past year. We’re really excited to have him back. He’s playing better football and better football and keeps developing and developing. We’re really excited to see where he goes.”
Kenyon Sadiq
Question: What’s been your impression of Kenyon Sadiq so far?
Mehringer: “It’s always funny with the freshmen, right? They’re always just kind of trying to keep the head above water, but he’s a talented kid and he was brought here for a reason. He is a willing kid. You kind of never know with high school kids, how tough those kids are going to be, but he’s done a really, really good job in terms of playing physical with some experienced players around him. I think the ceiling is really high for him. He’s got obviously a lot of work to do as a freshman coming in, but he’s had a great attitude and works really, really hard at it. I think the two older guys have done a really good job helping to mentor him through these first few months and develop chemistry and relationships in that room. That part has been really, really cool.”
Confidence in Sadiq
Question: What does Sadiq have to show you for you to feel confident going to him this fall?
Mehringer: “I think like with anybody you’ve got to see exactly what he can do. I think when you’re looking at specific players, like where does he function better than somebody else? So, No. 1, he’s got to go out there and show he can play consistent football for us. Not just can we go out there and throw you a hitch route and see what happens, but you’ve got to be able to play all three facets of the game for us — run blocking, pass catching and pass protection. He’s got to be able to do that, but right now I just think he’s drinking from a fire hose. There’s so much information. I asked him how much football he’s learned in his first two or three months, and he was like ‘Coach, I did not see that part coming’. He’s been awesome. He very rarely makes the same mistake twice. He’s super conscientious and a very smart kid. I think he’s got a lot to show, but I think it’s a little early right now. I think these next two weeks for him are going to be really really important.”
Will Stein
Question: What has it been like reuniting with Will Stein?
Mehringer: “You always knew Will was going to be a great coach. When he was with us at Texas and then he crushed it at Lake Travis, it was no surprise to me where he’s at and what he’s done at UTSA. So having like close friends, make coming to work a lot more fun. [Will] fits right in. He’s doing a great job right now. I couldn’t be more thrilled when I got that phone call that ‘hey, this is who we’re going to go with’. I was like ‘that’s perfect, that’s perfect.'”
Will's Influences
Question: What do you think influences Will the most in terms of offenses he’s worked with in the past?
Mehringer: “It’s a good question. I think the mark of a good offensive coordinator is saying ‘OK, how can I utilize my pieces the best,’ right? So, having different experiences and being in different systems that utilize players differently, gives you a more well-rounded approach. I don’t think there’s a good answer to that. I think why he’s been successful has been more because he said ‘This is what I have. Let’s use guys in the best way that we can. At Louisville, we did this. We did this at Texas and we did this at UTSA and at Lake Travis, we did that.’ To get guys in a position to be successful, you’re not trying to force a round peg into a square hole. We’re not saying ‘Hey, we’re not going to have the personnel until next year or two years from now, you saw this is what we’ve got and we can be successful with this. It may not be exactly what I did last year, but this is the best way we can get our pieces in the right places do the right things. He’s done a really good job of that. As we continue to mold every year, regardless of whether you stay in the same system or not, it’s going to look a little bit different because those players are different. It’s an interesting question and a good question, but I think it’s probably a little bit of everything because if not, you’re kind of stuck in one way of doing things and I don’t know if that’s going to be super successful. Unless you can just draft like you do in the NFL and it makes it a lot easier.”
