The Oregon Ducks‘ impressive campaign last season in the NCAAF led several of their top players to make the important decision to declare for the upcoming NFL Draft. In light of this situation, and while preparing for the next season with his team, head coach Dan Lanning sent a clear message to the teams that choose to select his former players.
Last season, eight players from Eugene reached the elite level, setting a historic record for the program. This year, according to predictions, that number is expected to rise to 10, or even surpass it.
In a recent appearance on Duck Insider, Dan Lanning spoke about his former players who are preparing to take the next step in their careers, and even warned those franchises looking to acquire the rights to these players: “They did an unbelievable job.”
“We’re so grateful for the time that they gave us. It’s fun when you talk about those guys, some of those guys had the decision, do they come back or not? What’s the future look like? I think all of them, you know, appreciate the opportunity to come back, get better football, spend time with their teammates, and they’ve all performed really well.”
“Now our goal is to see how high every one of those guys can get drafted. Unbelievable humans that are also great football players, that some NFL team is going to be really lucky to have,“ Lanning also added.
Johnson returns the favor with Dan Lanning
The strong relationship between the coaching staff and players was evident week after week in the last College Football season. Tez Johnson, one of the standout figures who also declared for the upcoming draft, spoke with the press, sharing his thoughts on his relationship with head coach Dan Lanning.
“Every game day, we’re ready to run through a brick wall for that man,” Johnson told Oregon Ducks on SI reporter Bri Amaranthus. “Because he’s going to give you all that he got. He’s going to give you 100 percent every day. He’s the most mentally prepared and mentally tough guy I’ve ever seen in my life. I don’t know how he does it. The consistency is unbelievable.”
Raising the bar in Oregon
The quantity and quality of players the Ducks have been supplying to the NFL recently is not something that happens frequently. Over the past few years, these numbers have grown exponentially, which is why their coach believes the program must raise the bar even higher in terms of both technical and professional development.
“I think the one thing that’s changed is the standard to play at Oregon’s higher now than it was three years ago,” Lanning told Duck Insider. “So we’re always looking to improve, right? We’re not looking to get the same. The standard of play has gone up here, and that means the caliber of athlete that we’re trying to target, to play for us, has gone up. And it starts there, right? Not lowering your standard and making sure that you’re going to get guys that you feel like give you a competitive edge when you step out there on the football field, so that adjusts.”