Oregon football spring practice: Canadian high school track athletes greet team coming off field

Oregon's Oshay Dunmore stops to talk to members of the media after spring practice on April 18.

(Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian)

EUGENE -- A spate of recent defections from Oregon football isn't indicative of a larger pattern of concern for second-year head coach Mark Helfrich, who said Wednesday "every story is its own" and expressed confidence teammates would fill the voids.

Helfrich -- who is recovering from recent left hip replacement surgery -- spoke for the first time Wednesday about the latest departures of linebackers Tyrell Robinson and Oshay Dunmore, the program's offseason attrition at large and several other offseason topics with The Oregonian.

Dunmore and Robinson's departures, announced in the past week, were unexpected because each was set to be a contributor this fall at outside and inside linebacker, respectively, though neither was projected to start. Their exits were not their choice, said two sources Tuesday who requested anonymity, stemming from discipline after a culmination of team rules violations.

"Whether it's one transfer or multiple transfers every story is its own and everybody wants to make it a big deal," Helfrich said. "But the vast majority obviously are guys who are trying to play and further their career at the best place they think they can get on the field the fastest. In a couple situations that was different and it's not a 'smoking gun' situation, it's a situation where we're going to do things a certain way and that's very well understood."

Eight players have left the program since March, with quarterbacks Jake Rodrigues and Damion Hobbs, defensive back Eric Amoako, punter Dylan Ausherman, linebacker Brett Bafaro, receiver Eric Dungy joining Robinson and Dunmore.

On the flip side, Helfrich said UO could potentially add more players via transfer before the season.

Rodrigues has since signed with San Diego State and Hobbs with Utah State. Dungy has been exploring a transfer since March and will reportedly land at South Florida, in his hometown of Tampa, Fla. Bafaro and Ausherman didn't return for spring practice, with Ausherman citing a desire to focus on being a firefighter after losing his grip on the team's backup punter job.

"We're talking about are guys who weren't, for whatever reason, at the top of the depth chart and that happens," Helfrich said. "There are guys who absolutely will step up whether they're young guys, old guys or in between. Here in a couple months we'll find out who that is."

Dunmore and Robinson are allowed to contact any school they want, Helfrich said, as they line up a landing spot.

A source indicated Dunmore has already spoken with Washington, USC and UCLA, among others, about a possible transfer. If he ends up moving within the conference, however, he would likely be subject to the Pac-12 Intra-Conference Transfer Rule that, according to the conference handbook, requires sitting out two seasons.

"This rule's penalty requires that you fulfill one academic year of residence and lose one season of competition in all sports before being eligible to compete," the handbook says. "You may also not receive athletically related financial aid during this period of eligibility."

Dunmore is a former standout decathlete and safety from Newport High who moved to outside linebacker last August. Though still raw at blitzing, he "gives effort like nobody's business," said position coach Erik Chinander in April. Robinson played in nine games as a true freshman and was rated a highly prized four-star recruit from San Diego whose twin, Tyree, remains on UO's roster at safety.

Fall camp for Oregon is less than six weeks away, with Aug. 4 the opening date, Helfrich said.

-- Andrew Greif | @andrewgreif