Oregon 2021 Spring Game: The Players Who Starred

Spring is a beautiful time of year, the weather is warming up, the days get longer and college football teams hold fifteen practices usually culminating with some form of spring game. That spring game is often the first chance fans have to see their team in action. Sure, the rules vary depending on the team, players rotate in and out, and some of the big stars don’t play much, but it’s still the first look at the team. It’s dangerous to read too much into spring game performances, but that won’t stop us from highlighting a few players who impressed in Oregon‘s spring game.

Troy Franklin

Franklin was the second ranked receiver in our 2021 WR recruit rankings and enrolled early at Oregon with high expectations. His performance in the spring game will only amplify those expectations. He made a big play early in the game when he got several yards behind the defensive back on a vertical route and made the catch despite taking a hit from the safety as he corralled the ball. Later in the game he got behind the defense on the left side and made a nice adjustment to the ball to secure the catch and set up the offense near the goal-line. Franklin’s hands and speed were on display as he made 4 catches for 93 yards during the spring game.

Justin Flowe

Flowe missed the 2020 season due to injury, but was one of the highest rated recruits in the country in the 2020 recruiting class. He showed why he was so highly thought of during the spring game. He has a nose for the football and is quick to close on plays. Early in the game he showed that closing ability to breakup a pass over the middle. In the second quarter he showed off his athleticism on a blitz that resulted in a sack. Late in the game his instincts were on display as Flowe shot the gap and helped make a key tackle for loss. Flowe was as advertised in the spring game and finished with 5 tackles, with 1.5 for loss, a sack and a pass breakup.

Travis Dye

Dye and CJ Verdell didn’t play a lot during the spring game, but Dye made a few nice plays to help the offense early in the game. The versatile running back was responsible for the first touchdown of the game as he slipped away from the coverage, caught a short pass and raced away from the defense and dove across the pylon for the score. He had a few nice runs early as well, moving the ball effectively and making good cuts to get the offense downfield. Dye only had four touches but finished the game with 2 carries for 30 yards and 2 catches for 28 yards for a short but efficient performance.

Dont’e Thornton

Not to be outdone by his fellow freshman receiver, Thornton made a few big plays of his own during the spring game. The young receiver made a nice catch deep on the right sideline early in the game, showing the ability to adjust to the ball and the awareness to keep his feet in bounds. With the offense trailing by seven points late in the game, Thornton again got behind the defense for a long catch and ran away from the defense for the touchdown. Thornton finished with 3 catches for 89 yards and that late touchdown.

Terrance Ferguson

The 2021 recruiting class had an excellent day and tight end Terrance Ferguson had a strong performance as well. The tall and athletic tight end proved to be a reliable target over the middle repeatedly, but showed he had big play ability as well. Ferguson made a big play downfield on a ball that was underthrown, he adjusted to the ball, fought through the pass interference and slid in to make the tough catch. Tight ends that can win contested balls downfield are a huge asset and Ferguson proved he can do just that. For the game he recorded 4 catches for 60 yards and was the biggest receiving threat at the tight end spot.

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Wide Angle Shot of Autzen Image taken by Ray Terrill is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.