Team chemistry a critical element for Oregon as Ducks continue to gel
The Oregon Ducks are in the midst of a spring practice season that is perhaps more critical than any spring has been in a long time. The Ducks not only head into the fall with a new quarterback, new running backs, and mostly new wide receivers, they also have a new head coach and new offensive and defensive coordinators.
Basically, it’s a new look team from top to bottom, and figuring out how to fit all the pieces together on the gridiron is a monumental task for coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
Beyond that, however, the staff and players also have to find ways to make sure they are gelling as a unit, and prepared to go into battle with each other in the coming months.
With new players and coaches everywhere you look, and more showing up on a day-by-day basis, that’s not an easy task.
“As we add guys, that’s, to me, that might be one of the most critical pieces,” coach Lanning said on Wednesday after practice. “We’re looking to see how well do our guys know each other on but also off the field.”
The transfer portal, especially in a season where the coaching staff departs, can make for a lot of introductions and get to know you type activities while the team gets used to all the new faces – a phenomenon that coach Lanning seems to embrace.
“The other day we had a couple of our guys stand up and talk to us about their roommates,” Lanning continued. “Tell us something you don’t know about your roommate, or the rest of the team doesn’t know about your roommate. I thought that was kind of special. So we’re trying to dig a little bit deeper into those relationships beyond just football.”
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Spring Ball Takeaways: Another first-team QB in 11-on-11 drills for Oregon Ducks
