The I-5 Thoughts: On Bo Nix the Bronco, Oregon's spring game and a big weekend for Portland teams

This week we're thinking about the NFL Draft, Oregon's spring game, the Winterhawks and soccer.

JJ Anderson photo

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Now, let’s begin today’s I-5 thoughts with Bo Nix, the Denver Bronco.

1. I don’t know if Bo Nix will live up to No. 12-pick hype. 

Frankly, I still can’t believe Nix is the No. 12 pick in the NFL Draft. I was there that day in Atlanta when the first four quarters of his new career at Oregon looked to have gone completely off the rails. For as much as Ducks fans are ready and willing to take ownership of the third first-round quarterback selected in a decade from Oregon, the collective fanbase was ready to burn this guy at the stake after he struggled against one of the best college football teams assembled.

They compared him to Anthony Brown Jr. They demanded Ty Thompson. 

Nix ate that loss and said he would be better. Then he was, giving Oregon two years of excellence at the position that measures up well against any other period in program history. 

Yes, Nix can dazzle. Yes, he’s accurate, smart and a heck of a lot more mature than your average NFL rookie. He’ll try and do too much now and then, but more than anything I know Nix to be earnest, confident and determined to reach his goals. I don’t know if that means he ends up as the next Oregon quarterback to take the league by storm like Justin Herbert, or if he becomes a career journeyman like Marcus Mariota or Kellen Clemens. I just think he’s going to be in the league for a long time. 

Nix is thoughtful. I’ve found him to be an engaging interview over the last two seasons when asked the right questions and, if he plays well, he’ll have a lucrative future of endorsements. He’s got timing — and there’s a reason why Oregon and Nike felt it was safe to plaster his image on billboards across the country last fall. 

He doesn’t step on rakes. 

So enjoy, Denver. He won’t be worse than your last quarterback, and he comes with far less ego. 

2. Since this is the Substack of record, I do want to officially compare my confidence level in Nix against how I felt about Oregon’s past first-round QBs I’ve covered.

Marcus Mariota: My first year covering major college football was Mariota’s Heisman season. I saw him dominate Jared Goff and Cal. I saw him outclass Jameis Winston and Florida State. I saw him front-flip, stiff arm and play college football about as well as any player who came before him.

You really think I thought this guy would be a flop? A decade later, Mariota is still in the NFL and has built generational wealth. I just didn’t expect Oregon fans to have to shell out for so many different jerseys.

Justin Herbert: Up until Herbert broke his collarbone midway through his sophomore season with the Ducks, I thought he was the second coming. Shoot, in his second career start he had six touchdown passes against Cal on the road. But that injury stymied Herbert’s momentum, then his junior and senior years in Eugene were spent in an offense that didn’t appear designed to take advantage of a generational arm. Maybe it was the receivers. Maybe it was the coaches designing away from Herbert’s flaws. I was beginning to feel skeptical, that is until seeing the plays he made in big moments down the stretch in the Rose Bowl, followed by an awfully impressive pro day performance in Eugene.

I got proof, too. This full head of hair screams 2020:

3. Ok, onto Oregon’s spring game.

The Ducks announced their rosters for Saturday’s 1 p.m. kickoff at Autzen. They are as follows:

Yes, you’ll want to watch the quarterbacks — and not just Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore. My money is on true freshman QB Luke Moga coming away from Saturday with the “Did you see that?” moment. He’s too fast, and if Saturday’s weather comes as forecast, he’s going to have some linebackers on skates.

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4. But Tyson, you only ever mention the offense.

Well, here’s what defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi said he expects to see out of his side of the ball on Saturday.

“It’s a successful day if we have 10 turnovers and score three times on defense,” Lupoi said.

The assembled reporters laughed. Lupoi held a straight face. Still don’t know if he was joking or not — Lupoi is a bit of an enigma — but the bravado does show a bit how far Oregon’s defense has come in the last year. Remember, last spring the Ducks were still trying to figure out what happened in the final two games of the 2022 regular season, when Washington and Oregon State were able to move the ball at will late in the game. While 2023 wasn’t perfect, the Ducks did respond with the 17th-best total defense in the country, then reloaded along the defensive line and secondary this offseason in the portal.

For newcomers, I want to see how much space Houston transfer Jamaree Caldwell eats up in rushing lanes and what former Washington starting cornerback Jabbar Muhammad looks like in Oregon colors.

Lupoi likes them both quite a bit.

“Those guys are starting to lead by action,” he said. “That’s what we ask of our guys. We don’t need a lot of rah-rah guys. We want both our coaches and players to have juice with content. “

For returners, keep your eye on sophomore inside linebacker Devon Jackson, a speedster with some momentum.

“His development since I've been here has been unreal," linebackers coach Brian Michalowski told reporters."He's developed on and off the field. His mindset has grown so much. His mental knowledge of the game has grown so much.”

5. Off the gridiron, we got a big weekend of games for Portland’s teams.

• The Timbers hit the road for a rematch with LAFC two weeks after drawing against the club at home. Portland has been playing better of late, with points in three consecutive games. But also, Phil Neville’s club hasn’t picked up a win since March 9 in New York. “We are improving. We are confident even if the wins aren’t coming our way at this moment,” Neville said. “There is a commitment, there is a togetherness, there’s a spirit, there’s a belief. We knew in this stretch it would be tough…we’ve played some really good teams.”
  

• A week after a major staff shakeup that saw head coach Mike Norris repositioned within the organization, the Portland Thorns rebounded last Saturday with a 4-1 victory to notch their first win of the season. With the win coming over NWSL cellar dweller Houston, the Thorns will have a better opportunity to gauge how well this new approach will fair against a Chicago Red Stars team currently sitting third in the league with a 3-1-1 record.
  

• It’s a great week for hockey fans here in Portland. First, as part of the Seattle Kraken’s exodus from the Root Sports empire, KGW announced it’s signed a multiyear partnership with the organization to broadcast more than 70 games annually for free over local airwaves. (Take note, Jody.) And tonight, the Winterhawks take to the ice in the WHL’s Western Conference Finals for the first time in a decade. The No. 2 Winterhawks are set to face No. 1 Prince George, which pits strength against strength with Portland’s playoff-best power play going up against the Cougars’ stingy penalty kill. The first two games are in Canada with the series arriving in the Rose City for Game 3 on Monday night.

— Tyson Alger, The I-5 Corridor