When the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex, the headquarters of Oregon's football program, opened four years ago, visitors to the locker room tended to gather around its flashiest features, such as barbershop with Italian-imported tools, or the biometric thumbprint scanner that allows access.

This spring, however, what has captured the attention of players most is a simple piece of paper placed directly by the front door.

"It's right when you get in, right by the TVs," linebacker Troy Dye said. "Everyone can see it."

In an ultra-modern palace, the paper is low-tech.

But it carries huge significance.

It is the daily depth chart.

When Oregon hired Willie Taggart as its coach in December, following a 4-8 season and the ouster of fourth-year coach Mark Helfrich, Taggart promised just two things -- a clean slate, and an opportunity for all to compete for playing time, no matter their past performance.

This month, when Oregon began spring practices, that promise manifested itself into the depth chart, posted daily in the locker room for all to see.

"We just don't want to hide anything from our players," Taggart said. "We want to be straightforward with them and so they can see it every day. They understand each day they have to come ready to play. You can't take a day off.

"Not only do we post it, we grade every practice and we give it to our guys. Not just them, but our entire group so they all know that we're not playing any favoritism or anything like that. We're going to be straightforward with them and it's on them to go out and make something happen if they want to play."

Players have enthusiastically endorsed the practice, saying it has increased the competitiveness of spring when compared to a year ago, when certain players' experience essentially allowed them to lock up starting jobs months before the season began.

The depth chart is also a symbol of accountability and hope. Screw up, and you could fall. But play well the next day, and you'll rise.

"It's just good to know where you stand every day," linebacker Jimmie Swain said. "If someone's playing better than you then you know, there's no ambiguity about it."

All quarterback Justin Herbert did as a true freshman was throw 19 touchdowns against four interceptions and complete 63.5 percent of his passes. Yet Taggart isn't conceding the job to Herbert in a competition with sophomore Travis Jonsen and freshman Braxton Burmeister.

"I really like where that competition is going," Taggart said Saturday, following a scrimmage at Jesuit High school. "I think it's only going to get tighter as we go on in spring ball."

Perhaps one victim of the fluid depth chart was another quarterback, Terry Wilson. Wilson began spring practicing with the second unit, but those reps were taken by Monday and Wednesday by Jonsen instead. On Friday, he announced he would transfer.

"I wish him nothing but the best," Taggart said.

Defensively, Tyree Robinson has been a starter at either safety or corner since his redshirt freshman season in 2014, yet on Saturday he played with the second unit while true freshman Thomas Graham Jr. earned reps with the first team for the second consecutive week. Behind Graham at safety were redshirt freshman Brady Breeze and junior Mattrell McGraw, who has played in two career games.

Some of that has to due with a lingering injury to safety Brenden Schooler, whose 74 tackles last season were third-most on the team. But Taggart was quick to say that the young and little-used safeties, together with Graham, are not tops on the depth chart -- for now -- by default.

"They've literally taken what we've said and are running with it: 'Coach is allowing us to compete and take jobs,'" Taggart said. "They also understand they have to play that way every single day in order to keep their jobs."

-- Andrew Greif

agreif@oregonian.com

@andrewgreif