FB Story: Fans Get First Look at 2022 Roster During Oregon Spring Game

Written Story by Jakob Salao

Eugene, ORE. – The 2022 Oregon Football team took to the field for the first time on April 23 for the annual Spring Game. The Ducks were split into either the Green Team or the Yellow team before the game.

One of the biggest storylines of this game was the QB battle of who will be the starter for the 2022 season. Ty Thompson, the 5-star recruit that many fans wished to see in the 2021 season, started for the Green Team, and transfer Bo Nix started for the Yellow Team. Jay Butterfield took the field for both teams as well. However, it was Nix who was the most impressive of these three. His opening drive started with a 70-yard bomb down the field and a bullet passes down the middle of the field for the touchdown, both caught by Seven McGee. Nix would go on to finish the game passing 8/15 with 230 yards, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. Comparatively, Ty Thompson threw 12/27 for 168 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INT. Many of Thompson’s incompletions looked like misplaced throws that Nix would be able to complete on the other end. This was Thompson’s chance to prove his worth as a starter, but Nix just played much more consistently. His deep ball, especially in connection to Seven McGee, was something that the Oregon fans have been wanting to see, and it’s hard to imagine that this connection won’t be a familiar sight down the line.

The teams didn’t seem to focus on the run game as much as the 2021 Ducks team did. Part of this could be due to the fact that it’s a Spring Game, part could be due to Head Coach Dan Lanning wanting to see what the QBs could do. For the Yellow Team, Sean Dollars put up 49 yards while Noah Whittington had 84 yards and 1 TD. Byron Cardwell, who began to have a breakout season last year, was held out of the game due to precautionary reasons. Both backs didn’t see the number of carries that players like CJ Verdell or Travis Dye saw last year, but both Dollars and Whittington made the most of their limited looks.

The receiving core for both teams played very impressively. Seven McGee started the game hot and showed that this is an Oregon team that likes to throw. McGee posted 116 yards and 1 TD and Dont’e Thornton put up 116 yards and 2 TDs for the Yellow Team. The Green Team didn’t have multiple standout receivers, but transfer Chase Cota made huge plays on his side of the ball. Cota posted 100 yards in the game, Troy Franklin had 1 TD with 36 yards, and Josh Delgado had 1 TD with 31 yards. If these receivers were able to put up these numbers separately, once the starting receiving core gets established, the Ducks will have a formidable passing attack.

The defense may not get as much spotlight as the offensive side of the ball, but some players definitely stood out. LB Justin Flowe did not participate in this game but has still been progressing towards a return. However, LB DJ Johnson found himself in almost every defensive play. Johnson had 7 tackles and 4 sacks, the most by anyone on the team. DB Steve Stephens IV made a return and contributed 3 solo tackles. DB Trikweze Bridges also had an interception in the game, in which he returned 42 yards for a TD.

Oregon football now heads into the offseason. There’s one spring practice left and the Ducks will start their regular season on September 3 against Georgia in Atlanta. Fans will be able to see the team in Autzen the following week on September 10 against Eastern Washington.

Audio Story by Justin Grossweiner