24 on '24: Final thoughts before the Ducks embark on first Big Ten season

On Tosh Lupoi's edge, breakout players, predictions and other thoughts.

Hello, this is Tyson Alger and I’ll serve as the head of the party planning committee for the 2024 college football season here at The I-5 Corridor.

Please remember: There’s a lot of new around here. New conference. New quarterback. New title-or-bust expectations. 

You thought 2023 was wild? 

I think that was just the warm-up for what 2024 has waiting for us.

That’s the first of 24 thoughts for the 24 season. Here’s the rest.

Buckle in, it’s a long one.

2. Yes, Tosh Lupoi is a meathead. 

I think he’d be offended if you’d consider him otherwise. Oregon’s 43-year-old defensive coordinator looks like he just stepped out of an MMA corner. He has the same build he had while an all-Pac-10 defensive end at Cal and the same buzz cut he’s sported throughout a coaching career that’s taken him from Berkeley to Seattle to Tuscaloosa to the NFL and Eugene. He used to train pit bulls, mostly gets credit for his recruiting, constantly talks about intensity and requires his defensive players to check into practice by punching the hell out of a spring-loaded football attached to a pole. 

“We don’t do any cruise control shit around here,” Lupoi said during a camp meeting.

Lupoi likes disruption. He wants his defense to thrive on chaos. He doesn’t just want to knock the offense back — he wants havoc. 

“It’s an emphasis that we have to accept and embrace and dominate every day,” Lupoi said. 

Be sure, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard such protein-packed phrasing around Eugene. 

Mario Cristobal?

You mean the former offensive lineman who turned down a career in the Secret Service to get into coaching and wear the ever-living-heck out of the word “tenacity?” 

Meathead. 

Remember Aaron Feld’s mustache and that whole Fill the Sleeves thing?

Meathead. 

Lupoi certainly fits the mold — and his players will tell you their coach isn’t much different from how he’s portrayed in team media, where he’s the coach pushing his linebackers through speed drills in the sand of Cannon Beach.

“Energy. Excitement. Someone that pushes you every day to be better,” said linebacker Devon Jackson. 

“He’s very intense,” added defensive back Nikko Reed. “He does a lot of crazy things that surprise us each day. He’ll be rapping his favorite rap song when he walks into meetings. You never know with him.” 

You’d also never know that Lupoi, for all his ground-and-pound football leanings, is quite the film buff. Dating back to his days playing high school ball at De La Salle in Concord, Calif., Lupoi says tape is where he’s found his extra edge. 

“It was strange to me, when I went to college I was surprised a lot of my teammates hadn’t done that already,” Lupoi said. “That was something early in the course of my life, we’d watch every lunch period on a VHS tape on the TV. So it started there, and then trying to do it extra as a player and trying to compete with myself and my teammates throughout college. Now, just knowing and constantly being curious about things you need to improve on, I feel like the way that we answer some of those questions is through film.” 

Lupoi’s defense answered a lot of questions in the 2023 season. After an unimpressive debut with the Ducks in 2022 where his defense allowed 27.4 points per game, Oregon allowed just 16.5 points per game last year with a group that nearly doubled its sack count (18 in 2022 to 34 in 2023), held six different opponents to single-digit scoring totals and paved the way for a Ducks team that led the Pac-12 with a plus-11 turnover margin.

Oregon head coach Dan Lanning, who worked for a season under Lupoi as a graduate assistant at Alabama in 2016, said it’s Lupoi’s ability to fix things that made him so attractive for the job in the first place.

“He’s a guy that doesn’t necessarily feel like he has all the answers, but he’s going to do everything he can to find every answer,” Lanning said. “He’s wanting to grow just as much as the players want to grow. There’s nobody in the building working as hard as him to be great at what he does. 

“He has a singular focus when it comes to football. All things are football. That’s his favorite hobby. That’s everything about him.”

3. A little cohesion goes a long way

Lupoi is in his third season with the Ducks. Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein is in his second season with the Ducks. This is the first time Oregon has returned both coordinators — under the same head coach — since Scott Frost and Don Pellum returned for the Ducks in 2015 after reaching the national title game in 2014.

I don’t think this is something that should be overlooked. With so many transfers expected to make an instant impact on this roster, having set offensive and defensive schemes while surrounded by teammates who know how and where to operate will be incredibly valuable for an Oregon team that could face a potential playoff preview in Week 2 against Boise State.

“Of course, if you’ve been here for two or three seasons, you’re probably going to feel more comfortable executing your assignment,” Lupoi said. “The goal is bringing the chaos and clarity, so if there’s somebody who is new, it’s, 'What are we doing extra with that individual?’ Extra meetings. One-on-ones. Our staff will jump on a Zoom. Whatever we need to do to challenge someone or get them up to speed, we’ll do it.”

4. Speed kills

So much of the Cristobal era at Oregon felt like it was getting the Ducks up to size. I remember walking around the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex once those first few recruiting classes started rolling in and marveling at the figures of players such as the 6-foot-7, 355-pound Justin Johnson. It was a needed transformation of Oregon’s roster, especially if the Ducks wanted to keep pace with teams from the other side of the country. And while Lanning’s Ducks here in 2024 certainly retain that same requirement for size, I think this is the year where the athleticism of the bodies coming in begins to show.

The Ducks have 270-pound edge rushers like Matayo Uiagalelei who can get into the backfield in a snap. The Ducks have 230-pound linebackers like Devon Jackson who top out above 23 mph in pads. The Ducks have a legit track star in the secondary in Rodrick Pleasant, a stable of burners at wide receiver and a quarterback in Dillon Gabriel who knows the best thing he can do is get the ball into the hands of the dudes with jets.

The Ducks may not be bringing the blur offense to the Big Ten, but they do have the speed to leave green and yellow highlighter streaking across the gridirons of the midwest.

5. A fresh feeling with special teams

It’s been a few years since we’ve entered a season with a relatively neutral opinion on the kicking game. While Camden Lewis did leave Oregon as UO’s all-time leader in points scored and had stellar seasons in 2021 and 2022, the lasting memory of Lewis will likely be the few kicks he did miss — specifically against the Huskies in 2023.

In 2024, the Ducks have a new kicker in Atticus Sappington, who packed up his car after two seasons in Corvallis and made the journey 40 miles south to play for his former rival. Sappington ranked fifth nationally in field-goal percentage at 92.86 percent last season, converting on 13-of-14 attempts. He made 5-of-6 field goals from 40-49 yards, was 5-of-5 from 30 to 39 yards and 3-of-3 from 20 to 29 yards.

“Really,” Sappington said. “I just feel at home.”

6. Next TE up

This is the deepest the Ducks have been at tight end since the days when Johnny Mundt, Evan Baylis and Pharaoh Brown populated Tom Osborne’s position group a decade ago.

Terrance Ferguson has worked himself into one of the best at his position in the country and will certainly get a look at the NFL next year. Patrick Herbert may be overlooked, but at 6-foot-5 and as strong as an ox, he gives Oregon a rounded one-two punch with his blocking abilities on the line.

And then there’s Kenyon Sadiq.

On the surface, the sophomore from Idaho doesn’t scream standout. He had five catches for 24 yards and a touchdown as a true freshman and slotted behind his two veteran teammates on the depth chart.

But Sadiq has unquestionably been the standout name of the fall, one that’s been at the tip of the tongue for teammates and coaches.

“As we get closer to the game weeks he's a guy that we want a personnel-specific place for,” Stein said. “I've been thinking about the kid that just got drafted from Georgia that is with the Raiders now. I'm not saying Kenyon is Brock Bowers, okay. He's not there yet. But he has all the skills to be a player in terms of true tight end play out of the backfield flexed. So excited about where he's going.”

Yeah, you all remember Brock Bowers. We’ll leave this at that.

7. $$$

New Ohio State athletic director Ross Bjork has said it cost around $20 million from donor collectives and brand affiliates to assemble the No. 2 Buckeyes’ roster.

Oregon doesn’t like to talk about its numbers there, but just keep that OSU figure in mind a few weeks from now when the Ducks are undefeated and the rest of the nation is crying fowl. Plain and simple: If you want to be a legitimate title contender in modern college football, you must have deep pockets.

The Ducks are a legitimate title contender. 

As Lanning told The I-5 Corridor back in July, “The rabbit has the gun.”

8. Not all quotes are created equal

That rabbit quote was a solid one, wasn’t it? When Lanning said it in his office back in July, my eyes certainly widened because, let’s face it, Lanning isn’t always a quote machine.

Here’s a pro tip for any young reporters out there: Don’t give this guy an out with “Yes” or “No” questions. Because if you give Lanning the option for a quick out, he’ll always take the easy yards.

For example, here’s how Oregon’s coach in 2014 and Oregon’s coach in 2024 answered the same question following a fall camp scrimmage.

To each their own.

9. The Will and Want to

I think Jordan James is going to rush for more than 1,000 yards. I think Noah Whittington will chip in a solid 700.

But what about Jay Harris? Oregon’s third-string running back may be the hardest player on this roster to predict. He was nails at his old school, rushing for 1,381 yards and 23 touchdowns on 333 carries over the last two seasons. But that was also at the Division II level.

Oregon running backs coach Ra’Shaad Samples doesn’t seem worried about whether or not Harris’ skills will translate.

“He's starting to ask questions and he's really trying to take the process by the horns and it's been showing on the field,” Samples said. “He knows he’s got to attack the process and understand that the game is a little bit different. But at the end of the day, it's football and as long as you understand your assignment and know what you're doing, you can compete at the highest level. Eventually, you'll get to where you're supposed to be if you got the talent. It’s just about that will and want to, and Jay has both."

10. Safe at the ends

When’s the last time Oregon’s been this confident in its tackles?

The Ducks have certainly had some stellar left tackles. They’ve had some great right tackles. But it’s been rare for this team to have two potential All-Americans returning to bookend the line. Left tackle Josh Conerly Jr. is back after yielding pressure on just 3.3 percent of his pass-blocking snaps in 2023, sixth among Pac-12 tackles. At right tackle, Ajani Cornelius returns after allowing no sacks in 2023, with only 11 total pressures in 512 pass-blocking opportunities.  

The biggest change for the pair in 2024 is the quarterback: thanks to Gabriel’s left-handedness, Cornelius is now the man in charge of protecting the blindside.

The pair have their work cut out for them to better a 2023 season that saw the Ducks allow just five sacks.

“I don’t think it’s about the people on the line, it’s about the standard held by the group,” Cornelius said. “Coach [A’lique] Terry does a great job enforcing that and all the older guys who have been here, and myself, we try to hold everyone to that standard.”

11. Looking for a center

The interior of the line has one of the few remaining questions heading into Saturday’s kickoff against Idaho.

Who will be starting at center?

For much of the offseason, it looked like sophomore Iapani Laloulu’s job to fill the shoes of Jackson Powers-Johnson, just as he did against Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. But because of Laloulu’s versatility, along with an injury to starting right guard Matthew Bedford, things are still up in the air. It very well could be Laloulu snapping the ball on Saturday. He could also end up starting at guard with Jesuit walk-on Charlie Pickard initiating the play up the middle.

“Charlie’s a guy that does absolutely everything right in our program,” Lanning said of the redshirt junior. “He’s worked his tail off for every opportunity he’s gotten.”

12. No pronunciation guide needed

Bedford’s injury reminded me a bit of 10 years ago when Oregon starting left tackle Tyler Johnstone went down with a knee injury in camp. It was the largest adversity Oregon faced in the run-up to that season, and I’m mainly just talking about us media who had to learn how to pronounce the name of his backup: Andre Yruretagoyena.

13. Moose Time

For the sake of breaking this thing up — yes, we’re 2,500 words in at this point — here’s a blast from the past, featuring the aforementioned Johnstone and a younger version of that guy I see on all of the Apple TV soccer broadcasts: my guy Jake Zivin.

I’d like to see the Ducks bring this back. Give Emar’rion Winston a show.

14. The Schedule

A quick ranking of games, from a “Hey I’m excited to write about this one,” perspective.

1. Ohio State — Duh

2. Michigan — First time at the Big House

3. Washington — They have to win this one, right?

4. Oregon State — I’m going to be the first writer to get a sunburn at the Civil War

5. Wisconsin — Y’all keep telling me Madison is a great college town

6. Michigan State — If Oregon’s smart, they open up a section of Autzen for Oregon State fans

7. Boise State — Potential playoff preview

8. Purdue — The Ducks head east for the first time

9. Maryland — Bizzaro World Oregon Uniform Bowl

10. UCLA — Oregon’s first Big Ten road trip is all the way to Los Angeles

11. Illinois — The East heads west

12. Idaho — Please don’t rip anyone’s ear off this year, boys

15. Remember the 21st night of September

You might be keen to take the weekend of the 21st off this year. Spend some time with your family. See your friends. Sneak in a wedding if you have to. Because a week after playing Oregon State in Corvallis, the Ducks have a rare September Saturday off before embarking on a Big Ten slate that opens: UCLA, Michigan State and Ohio State over the next three weeks.

16. That’s a good deal.

Hats off to Oregon for doing something not generally expected here in the era of the almighty dollar: they’ve lowered some concession stand prices. Don’t worry, you’ll get gouged on ticket prices this year, but $6 beers in 2024 is a win.

17. Thompson Time?

The one thing I’ll accept about Oregon putting out a depth chart prior to Saturday that isn’t a depth chart is that I’ve come to realize this is more or less standard procedure around the country. I was reminded of this when looking to see how former Oregon quarterback Ty Thompson fared during his first camp at Tulane.

The one-time top-ranked QB to ever commit to Oregon hasn’t lost the race in his quest for the starting job. He hasn’t really won it either.

18. Offensive MVP: Dillon Gabriel

I’d reckon the Ducks have players on this offense who will go on to have better careers in the NFL than Gabriel. But more than anything, the Ducks need an experienced, calm and disciplined player at QB to serve as a maestro for this offense. Gabriel has plenty of talent on his own, but his best quality may be his understanding of what makes an offense hum — and often that means getting the ball out of his hands as quickly as possible.

19. Defensive MVP: Jordan Burch

One thing I noticed watching Oregon’s excellent “That Team out West” series is how much coaches want to bring out the best in senior Jordan Burch. I think this staff is pretty darn aware of the potential of the one-time South Carolina defensive lineman. And after a debut with the Ducks where he was good — three sacks, 34 tackles — but not great, they must bring out all they can from a player with the size (6-6, 295) and athleticism to be a game-breaker.

“Last year, I didn’t really do the best I could until the end,” Burch said. “It was a new system for me. I was getting into it. I feel like I finally got it now. Everything is going in place for this season.” 

20. Tell me about your tailgates

Random request if you’ve made it this far: If you’re a tailgater, tell me about that experience in the comments section below. I’m working on a piece for when the Big Ten season drops and would like to add some color to the section on what those fanbases can expect in Eugene.

21. Would anyone be interested if I launched an I-5 Corridor Discord server?

This isn’t a message board site. I don’t want to turn this into a message board site. However, I’ve been entertaining the thought of creating a Discord server for subscribers. Discord is an application similar to Slack, where I’d be able to run different threads, post photos, share updates, run chats during games, etc.

I’ve been trying to slowly wean myself off Twitter, but I still value the ability to quickly share information and interact with readers. I’ve seen a few podcasts and newsletters go the Discord route, so let me know if that’s something that you’d be interested in.

22. Nickelback rocks

The Ducks have had some good ones in recent years. Jevon Holland and Bennett Williams come to mind. Two days before kickoff, the Ducks think they have another good one in Brandon Johnson, who hit the ground in fall camp running despite not arriving from Duke until after spring ball.

“The star position is the hardest position to be able to play because you ask that guy to do so many different jobs,” Lanning said. “What BJ has is a lot of experience in that position, provides a lot of versatility from a blitz ability standpoint, coverage standpoint, and he’s smart and intentional and he’s working at it.

“There’s a lot of guys in that room battling right now for that position, but he certainly provides some experience and that ability to pick up things quickly.”

23. The Camera Guy

Make sure to give JJ Anderson a follow over on Instagram. Stoked to have him with a camera on the sidelines again this season. While you’re on the app, go ahead and give the Corridor a follow, too.

24. YOLO

My prediction is in: The Ducks win the whole thing in January and a year from now you’re all reading my first book.

Let’s go see what the first chapter looks like.

— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor