Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Oregon Ducks March 7 practice report

Media allowed to watch 30 minutes of stretching and individual drills

By Andrew Greif, The Oregonian/OregonLive

EUGENE — For the first time this spring, college football teams across the nation are breaking in an additional 10th assistant coach.

At Oregon, first-year coach Mario Cristobal used the extra position to create a special teams-only position manned by ex-Alabama staffer Bobby Williams.

“We expect that to pay major dividends,” Cristobal said.

But what the additional manpower hasn’t done is turn Cristobal into a delegator. When the Ducks opened spring practices on a 38-degree morning Wednesday, Cristobal bounced between drills as an active participant.

The position he coached last season, offensive line, has plenty of help with a graduate assistant in charge of tackles and an assistant leading the guards and centers. Yet if Wednesday was any indication — and many expect it will be — Cristobal will remain an involved presence throughout the season. At one point, he stood behind a blocking sled shouting out corrections and atta-boys. At another, he was a foot away as linemen attempted to rip a turnover out of the grasp of a ballcarrier.

Don't Edit

His management style is one of several changes to the program, which is welcoming five new assistant coaches, three newcomers in the recruiting and personnel departments and three more on the strength and conditioning staff. Some of those changes were evident Wednesday in the practice field’s signage. “Do Something” logos are gone as part of Willie Taggart’s departure of Florida State — just as that slogan replaced “Win The Day” a year prior. Now, a giant banner reading “COMMITMENT, DISCIPLINE, EFFORT, TOUGHNESS, PRIDE” has been hung.

Cristobal, players said, is a storyteller who can unwind a tale about playing for Miami in the early 1990s. (Upon his promotion, his former Miami teammate and actor and wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson tweeted his congratulations.)

“That’s just kind of what we’re trying to bring back to here,” receiver Dillon Mitchell said.

Whether telling Miami stories or running a team meeting, Cristobal has made a good impression amid his transition from position coach to head coach.

“I would definitely say since he became head coach, he’s been a lot more transparent than the last staff but I wouldn’t even say the whole last staff, just certain people on the last staff who just wasn’t honest,” running back Tony Brooks-James said. “Other than that, I can pretty much go to him and talk to him about anything I want to.

"He’s a lot more, how can I put it, interactive with us. He pushes us, he’s a great storyteller. He’s a guy that you kind of just want to run through a brick wall for."

Don't Edit

Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Oregon strength and conditioning coach Aaron Feld yells Wednesday morning.

Don't Edit

Getting in a word with Aaron Feld might be more difficult. The handlebar-mustachioed new strength and conditioning coach overseeing football began practice yelling Wednesday, and that’s been his calling card.

Asked to describe the “Fourth Quarter” offseason program Feld has run since January, Mitchell said: “I don’t know if you heard Feld, but he’s quite loud.”

The differences between offseason programs the past two seasons go beyond volume, however.

Brooks-James described it as what the Ducks did under longtime coach Jim Radcliffe “but moreso on steroids.” Mitchell called it “difficult.”

“Last year was more just running and pounding, running up and down the field, I guess thinking that you could build your lungs up that way and that was basically it, just running up and down the field constantly,” Mitchell said. “When I say (Feld) is loud, he comes in the weight room yelling. He never stops yelling. That’s just the guy he is. He’s bringing intensity.”

And so far, players echoed, so has the head coach.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Looks like some Ducks are going to be wearing Vicis helmets again (this is Tony Brooks-James’ helmet). UO wore Vicis as a trial in 2016 before switching back to a different model. pic.twitter.com/JZY2Sh7Z2B — Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) March 7, 2018

Other observations:

— Some players wore Vicis helmets to practice. In 2016, the Ducks were one of two schools nationally to don them as part of a test run with the Seattle-based startup, but UO soon went back to its Schutt and Ridell models after players complained about issues with fit and comfort from ill-fitting chinstraps and excessive pressure on the forehead.

[Read: From 2016, Ducks no longer wearing Vicis after complaints over fit]

Not all players wore Vicis Wednesday, but it appears the company’s tweaked products are back for a second run.

Don't Edit

Sean Meagher

Running backs coach Jim Mastro as the Oregon Ducks open spring football practice.

Don't Edit

-- New running backs coach Jim Mastro was constantly teaching his position group Wednesday, quick to stop a drill and reinforce a small detail to his charges. It happened on several occasions, beginning with gathering all the backs around him to discuss the proper technique of a jump cut around a defender.

Perhaps this is to be expected: While Mastro has coached either running backs or the running game since 1989, UO's backfield is extremely young -- freshmen Travis Dye and Jamal Elliott enrolled early -- and his knowledge will be necessary to fill the experience void. While past UO teams practiced as fast as possible to get as many reps possible, teachable moments like Wednesday seem to be what Cristobal wants. He has said UO practices will have more individual teaching periods compared to last year.

"He’s a good coach himself and he knows his stuff really well," Brooks-James said of Mastro. "Plus he was at another Pac-12 school (Washington State) so he been around the Pac for a long time, so I'm glad to have him."

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

-- This offseason has reminded Brooks-James of 2014, when Oregon went on to win the Pac-12 title and play in the College Football Playoff.

He’s not predicting another CFP appearance, not yet. What he meant was he’s observed UO “getting back to the basics and doing things the right way. You start by doing the little things right.”

This will be a big season for Brooks-James, who is now UO’s featured back following the graduations of power backs Royce Freeman and Kani Benoit. He has experience in this role, albeit abbreviated. In 2016, with Freeman injured most of the season’s second half, Brooks-James earned all-Pac-12 second-team honors with 771 rushing yards and 155 receiving yards.

Last season, he rushed for 498 yards and had 144 yards receiving. He also scored on a kickoff return in the season opener.

“It’s a good feeling, but the pressure is on because I got to stay there now because I got guys behind me who could take my spot,” he said. On UO’s pre-spring depth chart, sophomore Darrian Felix is listed behind Brooks-James.

One of the team’s fastest players, Brooks-James added about five pounds since the end of last season because he wants to be more physical.

“You’ve got to replace the backfield with some type of power,” he said, adding he wants to “get stronger to where I’m going to be able to take the hits and run through the hole.”

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

-- After two seasons playing wide receiver, Dillon Mitchell is transitioning to playing the slot role last held by Charles Nelson.

It wasn’t a shocking position switch: Mitchell played slot at times in high school and knew he would be making the switch as far back as last season.

“You get more creative on the inside than you do on the outside, I think,” he said. “I like inside.”

His goal for spring?

“Just coming out here and dominating,” he said. “This is my junior year. I’m excited for the season.”

Don't Edit

Injury report

Those observed not taking part in drills during the portion of practice open to media Wednesday included linebacker Sampson Niu, tight end Jacob Breeland, center Jake Hanson, safety Billy Gibson, defensive linemen Gus Cumberlander, Drayton Carlberg and Malik Young. Young was spotted with lineman on the field later, however.

Niu will miss all of spring with injury suffered during Las Vegas Bowl. Hanson and safety Nick Pickett will miss the start of spring but are expected to return in April.

Don't Edit

Highlights

Don't Edit

More interviews

Don't Edit

More to Read:

QB Braxton Burmeister feels 'tougher' after rough freshman season

"There's a big difference between winning seven games and winning eight, nine, 10, 11."

UO's pre-spring depth chart

Mario Cristobal Q&A

Don't Edit