In the second week of fall camp, not much has been happening, and that is an amazing thing. Oregon thus far has avoided any major injuries, and lets hope it stays that way. Everyone seems to be progressing in play and in health.
Jeremiah Johnson seems to be 100%, quelling any fears I had about the running game. Johnson and Blount are potential big-time stars, and Crewshaw (despite his recent minor injury) and Alston round out a very talented backfield.
It also seems that offensive line is getting fleshed out. C.E. Kaiser, who has an awesome name, is getting a lot of time at right tackle. Whatever happens, we have 7-8 guys that are very good. This is a great offensive line, and will be a key to helping the young QB develop.
Spencer Paysinger is making a splash at the "will" linebacker, shoring up another position that was questionable.
I am also getting more comfortable with our defensive line. Despite the lack of big-time names, there seem to be many bodies, all with a decent amount of talent and ability. Despite Justin Thompson being late to camp, the move of Stevens has helped a lot. He and Blake Ferras have been getting a lot of time with the No. 2's, as have Simi Toeaina and Toni Celotto.
As far as the QB goes, it is doubtful that Costa will lose the starting spot. He has been solid thus far, and no one else has done anything to surpass him. On the receiving end, Jaison Williams has been catching just about everything in sight, and when he drops passes now, it's almost a shock rather than a concern. It's also good to hear that Dickson has been involved. He will be a huge mismatch for any defense, and I'm excited to see what Chip Kelly can do with him.
Overall, this team should be ready to play come August 30th. I don't feel underwhelmed at any position, and there are few teams that will hold large position advantages.
We all know that these things could change at any moment, but for the time being, I'm happy about where this team is at and where it's heading.
Here are some other interesting tidbits from all around:
SBNation writer The Boy, and leader of RockMNation is really into statistics. I mean, really into statistics. He has gone so far as to create his own statistics. His Beyond the BoxScore series is incredibly detailed and highly interesting. Based on his research, he has been looking around the nation at every major conference. Today he previewed the first part of the Pac-10. There's nothing that's much of a revelation, but it's a good read, and come on, what haven't we heard at this point. Also, he drives home the point that no one outside of Corvallis pays attention to OSU's "success", so that's always fun.
For all of you chomping at the bit to talk about Utah State, you won't find much around here, but Bronco Nation previews the Aggies. That's pretty much all you're getting out of us on Utah State.
Lastly, UW's Locker is still day-to-day, and had trouble running today. Every day he sits out, the better it is for our defense.
GO DUCKS!