Everything Dan Lanning said following Oregon's first day of spring ball

The Oregon Ducks returned to the Hatfield-Dowlin Complex outdoor fields on Thursday for their first spring practice of the year.

Afterward, head coach Dan Lanning spoke with reporters for approximately six minutes and discussed his team’s opening day of spring ball.

Here’s a full transcript of everything he said.

Opening statement

Lanning: “Good day of practice. But there’s a lot of cleanup. So we want to go attack technique. It’s good to see some young guys out there picking it up; these walkthroughs that we’ve been able have leading up to spring ball really gives us that opportunity to take a step forward and get ahead. We’ll have meetings following practice and be able to attack some of that as well with our players, too. That said, we can open it up to questions.”

Have you guys practiced with in-helmet communication?

Lanning: “Yeah. We were sent a couple by the office; we’re using them to move around player to player on certain days.”

Outside of (linebacker Jeffrey Bassa), has anyone else on defense been asked to use it?

Lanning: “Everybody. We’re going to train everybody to be able to use those. Primarily in the linebacker room.”

What is the benefit of practicing twice before taking a two-week break?

Lanning: “I don’t know if there’s a lot of huge benefit. Because there’s going to be a little bit of a period there that puts us behind. But there’s going to be some guys who are able to join us here post, post that first term. Give us a chance for those guys involved. That certainly lengthens that spring window, so you get a little bit more time in between to study what you’ve done well and what you can improve on.”

What are your thoughts on how the newcomers did today?

Lanning: “I thought there was good and there was bad, right? The biggest thing you saw was energy and you saw guys moving from drill to drill with purpose. There were mistakes made, which there’s gonna be. It’s about fixing those.”

Has (offensive lineman Faaope Laloulu) moved to a student assistant role?

Lanning: “Yeah, he’s moved to a student assistant role.”

How do you measure success from day one to day two?

Lanning: “I think effort and technique, right? Really, and then are you making the same mistakes you made day one. We gotta eliminate those as we go forward. But it’s just about constant improvement, constant growth. Can’t eat an elephant in one bite, right? It takes one day at a time. A little bit better each day.”

Is Noah Whittington back to full health?

Lanning: “We’re being conscientious of where he’s at. They’re doing a really good job in the treatment program. He’s way ahead of schedule and has done a really good job there. But we’ll be conscientious throughout spring.”

Do you expect to see anything from Jahlil Florence this spring?

Lanning: “Really same thing (as Noah Whittington). We’re going to have these guys do what they can do but be smart in the same process.”

What went into the decisions you made with your coaching staff this offseason?

Lanning: “Got a lot of really good coaches within the staff and it’s about growing guys within the staff and giving them opportunities when they deserve it, right? Whether it’s (Chris Hampton) taking a bigger role there in the secondary or Rashad Wadood stepping up to do more with the corners. Brian (Michalowski) has been a guy that proved his value here last season, he’s gonna want to get involved more as well. So, you know, when our organization it’s about continuity, it’s about growing within, building guys that can fill those roles and do a good job.”

There are still a couple of strength and conditioning and recruiting (staff) positions open. Are you planning to fill those?

Lanning: “We’re always looking for how we can improve our program and what ways we can add elements to our program to make us better. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we have positions we’re still filling.”

What about Brian Michalowski makes him a good fit for the inside linebackers coaching position?

Lanning: “I’ve just known Brian for a really long time. You know, I worked with him in Memphis, I worked with at Arizona State and Georgia. So he’s a guy that I have a lot of familiarity with. And his knowledge of the game, his understanding of how we want to be able to accomplish things here at the University of Oregon was a big help last year, and his role that he did last year. So looking for him to take a step forward in what he does this year.”

What have you seen from (running back) Jay Harris so far?

Lanning: “It’s hard right now, we’re wearing spiders and helmets. So I think that’s gonna show up more when we get to thud tempos. But obviously, he is a big back, and it’s going to be an element that we want to take advantage of when we get out there with pads.”

How did you find Harris when he was playing at the Division II level?

Lanning: “Just keeping your ears and eyes open. He’s from a state that I’m familiar with in Missouri. We had some connections back in St. Louis of guys that we knew. And then really put the pieces together when we felt like he fit a need for us and we could help him.”

What are you hoping to see from the young interior defensive linemen this spring?

Lanning: “Yeah, see them grow up fast. Right? I always say if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. We want to see these guys be able to attack it. You know and not have a plan to wait but have a plan to go play.”

What are you hoping to see from the secondary?

Lanning: “Yeah, you don’t wanna take a step backward you wanna take a step forward. So we’re not looking to plateau or dip. We’re looking to continue to elevate, and that starts with great technique and communication. Those guys understand what we’re trying to accomplish, and we got a lot of guys out here. This is really the first spring that I felt like we could truly two-spot practice and have enough bodies that we can work multiple fields and multiple drills at the same time and take advantage of it.”

Are you expecting to see Brandon Johnson and Jabbar Muhammad join the team after spring break?

Lanning: “When I’m able to talk about players that are here, I’ll be able to talk about all those guys that are here. And certainly, there’s gonna be some guys that will be joining us that we can visit about when they get here.”

Are you expecting to see 2024 signees such as Dylan Williams and Ify Obidegwu, too?

Lanning: “Same thing. We’ll get them here as soon as we can get them here. You guys will see them when they’re here. But we’re getting those guys transitioned and ready to roll.”

What did you guys see on tape from (defensive lineman Jamaree Caldwell) that made him a good fit?

Lanning: “I mean explosive power and speed, really, for his size. You know, he’s a dominant guy that ends up in the backfield a lot of times. He’s just going to create havoc for the opposing team. So, excited to see what he brings. He’s done a good job hopping in. He’s learned a lot. We’re asking him to do more than he did before. And that’s been a good transition for him.”

Has moving to the Big Ten changed your approach to spring ball?

Lanning: “No, it really doesn’t change our approach. You know, right now, it’s about working and getting better, right? The things that we think are winning football are the things that we’re going to work on. It doesn’t really matter what conference we’re in.”

What have you seen from Dillon Gabriel and Dante Moore so far?

Lanning: “They’ve jumped in the water, right? All in. They didn’t dip their toe in and so these guys are picking it up quick. Again, these walkthroughs and meetings have been something that have given us an advantage to go pick it up. A lot of growth from today that we got to see moving forward but excited about the way those guys work.”

What are your thoughts on the new early signing day?

Lanning: “I just adapt to wherever the rules become. You know, I think there are benefits to rule changes. And I think that there are also consequences that come with rule changes. You know, there’s a great chance that a team is preparing for a conference championship, and they’re signing players at the same time. We’ll see how it all plays out but we’ll certainly adapt to it well.”

What are your thoughts about the discussions surrounding potentially expanding the CFP to 14 teams?

Lanning: “I’m worried about what’s next for us next year. And that starts with game one. We’re not to playoff discussion yet.”