Well, we've entered the most dreaded part of the year for Oregon Duck football fans; the offseason. Everyone needs to say a prayer, light a candle and cross their fingers that this will not be like the offseasons of the last couple of years.
- The big story yesterday was that LaMichael James officially entered the NFL draft. Not really a big surprise considering everything he's accomplished here, and I'm sure most Duck fans wish him well at the next level. It will be interesting to see where he lands in the draft. Obviously, we all know he's tough enough to be a feature back, but the NFL is a different animal and a lot of teams look for a guy that can be more of a bruiser. With LMJ's attitude and work ethic, I have no doubt he'll catch on to a team and be a success.
- News from up North recently has the poodles picking up 2 former Ducks to try and band-aid their broken defense. Ted Miller thinks that it won't take long for Wilcox and Sirmon to get acquainted with their new surroundings on enemy territory. What's your opinion of 2 Ducks coaching for the huskies? Does it bother you? Do you care? Personally, I agree with Miller in that this is business, and I'm glad a couple of former Ducks are advancing themselves professionally. Besides, Jerry Allen is a Beaver and that's never bothered me.
- Speaking of coaching hires, this is a great pick up for Ucla. I think Jim Mora Jr will do a better job in Pasadena than a lot of people expect.
- With LMJ moving on, the focus has to turn to KJB, and whether he'll turn pro too. Kenjon seems to have the intangibles that translate better to the NFL game with his ability to catch out of the backfield and play multiple positions. He may need a year as a feature back though to showcase those skills.
- Between now and National Signing Day (or as it's known as at the Oregonian, the last day before Oregon can buy the next year's National Recruiting Package) there will be a lot of recruiting news. The biggest news this week was that Thomas Johnson, one of the top receivers in the country, decommitted from Texas and will go on an official visit to Oregon. I'm sure this is just the beginning of what will be a lot of fast moving parts and players taking interest in one of the up and coming programs in the country.
- If you're planning on heading to the Oregon vs Cal game this Sunday, make sure to stick around at halftime and check out the interesting Dunk Contest they'll be putting on.
- Lastly, Miller has a post about the returning starters for Pac 12 teams. USC comes in first with a scary 19 (not that it helped ASU much this year with all the injuries they had and injuries at USC will hurt more because of their depth issues). Of note though is the fact that Stanford is only returning 12. I really think Stanford drops off big time next year. Even though Shaw won coach of the year, his "actual coaching" and not relying on Andrew Luck to carry the offense, left a lot to be desired. Or maybe he'd like to try another 40+ yard field goal to win the BCS game and prove me wrong.
That's all the Quack I got. Serious, I ain't got no more Quack. Talk to Tako, I'm sure he's holding, that dude always has extra Quack lying around.