Bradyn Swinson excelling in Tim DeRuyter's defense
Following Oregon’s first scrimmage last Saturday, Mario Cristobal was effusive in his praise of Bradyn Swinson.
“This week at practice, he was probably the player that took the biggest jump of anybody,” Cristobal said.
The freshman defensive end had a stellar showing in the scrimmage and has been one of the breakout players of Oregon’s camp thus far. That is, in large part because of the physical transformation he made in the offseason.
Swinson arrived at Oregon somewhere in the 280-pound range and admits he wasn’t as quick and mobile as he needed to be. So he overhauled his body during the offseason and is an entirely different player as a result.
He is listed at 234 pounds on Oregon’s preseason camp roster and said the 40-pound drop has been tremendous for him.
“I feel great out there,” Swinson said. “I’m flying around; I was like, ‘Oh, I can move a little more than I used to. Everything feels great.”
Swinson’s transformation will be advantageous for helping him fit into Tim DeRuyter’s defensive scheme. Prior to DeRuyter’s arrival, Swinson had only ever played with his hand in the dirt. Now, he’s a player who could cause absolute mayhem while working out of a two-point stance.
“I’ve been in a three-point stance my whole life, so I’m not really used to it,” Swinson said. “But once I got into a two-point stance, I said, ‘Oh, it’s a different world out here.”
Swinson has the flexibility and athleticism to line up all over the field for DeRuyter. Considering the immense talent the Ducks have in the front seven, he could be a major X-factor wherever the Ducks deploy him.
DeRuyter said Swinson is much-improved in the pass game since he slimmed down. He’s batting for reps with Kayvon Thibodeaux, Mase Funa and Adrian Jackson. But he said Thibodeaux and Funa are two of the biggest reasons he has taken such a step forward during camp.
He said both players have put in work with him after practice to help him better understand the scheme and improve his handwork. After an offseason working with them, he describes himself as a “technician.”
“We’re always trying to develop depth where there’s not much of a dropoff from our ones, to our twos, to our threes,” DeRuyter said. “(Swinson) is battling to be a starter for us. To have that competition is gonna keep everybody sharp.”
