By Rob Moseley

Editor, GoDucks.com

Venue: Outdoor practice fields

Format: Helmets

He might have moved all the way to Oregon from Iowa, and then not survived a walk-on tryout. He might have made the Ducks’ spring roster, and been buried behind veterans in the battle for practice reps.

Instead, linebacker De’Quan McDowell has been a consistent presence through spring drills, which end with Saturday’s Spring Game. If he’s still getting up to speed on the play book, McDowell’s effort and energy helped him get by, and he got plenty of chances as Oregon’s inside linebackers weathered a few minor injuries this month. “I definitely got my opportunity,” McDowell said with a grin.

The question entering the offseason will be, did McDowell do enough to earn a spot with Oregon’s fall camp roster in August? Coaches have definitely appreciated his effort, and McDowell seems to have put himself in position to be seriously considered for another go-round with the Ducks.

“I put my best foot forward,” he said Wednesday after the team’s 14th spring practice. “Worked my hardest, gave a good effort. I wasn’t really focused on whether I was coming back. Just doing everything I can do now, and let my performance speak for itself. Hopefully they think I’m a valuable piece.”

McDowell, a native of Marshalltown, Iowa, played the last two years at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls. The twist: He was a wide receiver for the Panthers.

At the advice of a coach, McDowell enrolled at Oregon after last fall. He attended a tryout just before the start of spring drills, and stood out for his combination of size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and speed.

The catch was, UO coaches were looking for some depth at inside linebacker. “I told them I was willing to play wherever they wanted me to,” McDowell said. “I’m willing to do it all.”

McDowell was one of three players who joined practice after the walk-on tryout. The others were defensive backs Tyler Reid and Jake Ryan, and while they too have looked worthy of consideration for another shot in the fall, depth is better in the secondary. McDowell, on the other hand, has been a constant presence in the linebacker rotation, and around the ball during scrimmages.

By doing so, McDowell could be in line for another camp with the Ducks come August, and a role with the team this fall. “Right now it’s just about learning the defense as much as possible, and beyond everything showing 100 percent effort,” McDowell said. “And being around the ball consistently, making plays.”

Highlights: The Ducks broke into their spring game squads for the final period, an overtime drill. The teams are named for the coaching staff’s PathwayOregon fundraiser, and Taylor Alie’s “Oregon” squad had the ball first. They moved the chains with an eight-yard scamper by Thomas Tyner, then a sweet, twisting catch near the sideline by Bralon Addison after Alie was flushed from the pocket. The drive stalled from there, though, and they settled for a field-goal attempt that was blocked by Reggie Daniels.

Jeff Lockie and the “Pathway” team were up next. Facing third-and-10, Lockie connected on a short pass to Royce Freeman, who was whistled down just short of the sticks. Aidan Schneider set up for a 33-yard field goal, and though Mark Helfrich called timeout to ice him, Schneider made the “game-winning” kick.

Other observations: Prior to the overtime drill, the teams spent a couple periods on separate fields practicing together. … At one point, Rodney Hardrick was pulled out of a drill by coaches. His crime: Being so vocal pre-snap that other, younger players would defer to him and not step up themselves in that role. Pulling Hardrick out put the onus on guys like Jimmie Swain and Eddie Heard to take the lead vocally. … Mike Garrity, who wrapped up a five-year career as an unheralded but invaluable outside linebacker last fall, has been on hand this month shadowing defensive line coach Ron Aiken. Once he completes his undergraduate degree in June, Garrity will move back east to coach the defensive line at Bentley University in Massachusetts.