Tosh Lupoi praises effort, resiliency of Oregon linebacker Justin Flowe
Justin Flowe has continued his recovery throughout this spring after suffering an injury last fall that wiped out his entire 2021 season.
Flowe, a former 5-star signee who is the second highest-ranked recruited to ever sign with Oregon, has now lost his first two college seasons to injury. It’s been a difficult, frustrating process for Flowe, who flashed superstar potential in his lone appearance last season when he racked up 14 tackles in a season-opening win over Fresno State.
But it sounds as though Flowe’s relentless engine has not been slowed by the setbacks.
Flowe was able to participate in position drills and do 11-on-11 work toward the end of spring ball. During Saturday’s spring game, he went through warm-ups but did not play.
While meeting with reporters Tuesday, Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi was asked about his impressions of Flowe from the time he was able to spend on the field this spring.
“I’m excited, man,” Lupoi said. “I know he is and I am too. We tried our best to slowly progress him, but there’s not really that gear in his body. So we did a few walkthroughs and they turned into full-speed for him, so we had to slow them down.”
Last week, Flowe was seen working with the second-unit defense at middle linebacker. It was the first time he was able to practice since Week 1 of last season.
Several days after Oregon’s victory over Fresno State, it was revealed that Flowe had suffered a Lisfranc injury during the win that ultimately ended his season.
“He’s just eager. He’s eager to get to work,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said last week. “He has an infectious personality and enthusiasm with the way he approaches every day. He knows he’s got a long way to go. We’re gonna continue to chart his progress and see what he looks like as it continues to go forward.”
On Monday, Lupoi echoed that sentiment while praising Flowe’s effort to catch back up to speed this spring.
“I’d much rather be coaching a guy that you’ve got to ask him to slow down than have to constantly encourage him to speed up,” Lupoi said.
