Oregon's Jamal Hill, DJ James cleared to play Saturday at Ohio State
Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said defensive backs Jamal Hill and DJ James will both be available to play this Saturday when the Ducks travel to face Ohio State in Columbus.
Hill and James have both been suspended since the start of preseason camp and both players were kept out of practice until a few weeks ago, according to Oregon defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter. Neither played in Oregon’s season-opening win over Fresno State.
DeRuyter said Hill and James had to play a bit of catch-up when they returned to the team midway through camp, but both will be in contention to start against Ohio State.
“There was a little rust that had to get knocked out,” DeRuyter said Monday. “But they’ve been looking pretty good in practice this week, so they’ll be competing right away for jobs.”
On Aug. 3, police were dispatched at 11:44 p.m. to a report of a man who had been shot in the face with a realistic-looking airsoft gun near 14th and Willamette by a person in a car that had driven past, according to a Eugene Police Department Report.
Three total people reported similar incidents within a close time frame and proximity. After an investigation, Hill and James were both charged.
The pair of sophomore defensive backs played major roles for the Ducks last season and were projected starters this year. Hill finished 2020 with 20 tackles and two interceptions, while James had 14 tackles and a pass breakup.
According to court records, both players were charged with two counts of recklessly endangering, two counts of disorderly conduct, and unlawful discharge of a firearm. Records show that neither player has entered a plea for any of the aforementioned charges.
Both players are scheduled for trial on Sept. 8.
Against Fresno State, freshman cornerbacks Trikweze Bridges and Dontae Manning rotated at boundary corner.
DeRuyter praised Bridges and Manning for the way both players grew into Saturday’s game, but said there are some areas in which both need to improve quickly.
“When it’s your first time, I think there’s some confidence issues for both of them,” DeRuyter said. “At times, playing a little softer in coverage then we would have liked.
“We would have rather had guys competing. Their eye discipline wasn’t spot on, but at the end of the game, Trikweze made the play to get them short of the sticks.
“Having the awareness of where the sticks are, sitting on the sticks and making a sure tackle short of the sticks are signs of growth and that he’s starting to understand.”
