Injury Update: Dan Lanning talks Justin Flowe, Noah Sewell, and other notable players
There were certainly some notable takeaways from the Oregon Ducks’ 12th spring football practice, which took place in the Moshofsky Center on Tuesday morning. While we got a chance to watch the team go through more 11-on-11 drills, it also gave us a good look at some injured players, and those who may be on their way to making a return to the field.
After practice, head coach Dan Lanning met with media members and discussed the practice, touching on a few players who were absent, and others who returned to the field while making steps in their recovery. Here is what he had to say about a few key players:
Linebacker Justin Flowe
(Photo Courtesy of Zachary Neel | USA Today Sports)
“He’s just eager. He’s eager to get to work. You know he has an infectious personality and enthusiasm in 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 it looks like as he moves forward, but definitely fun to see him out there.”
On if he will play in the spring game on Saturday:
“We’ll see.”
Takeaway: Tuesday was the first time we saw Flowe take part in full-speed drills like 11-on-11, which is extremely encouraging. Of course, Lanning mentioned after the fact that he still “has a long way to go” in his recovery, so we should temper expectations a bit. But nonetheless, this was a very positive development. I don’t, however, expect to see Flowe in the spring game on Saturday.
Linebacker Noah Sewell
(Photo courtesy of Zachary Neel | USA Today Sports)
“No, he was under the weather.”
Takeaway: When asked if it was an injury that caused Sewell to miss practice on Tuesday, Lanning said he was just dealing with a sickness, which is positive news. As arguably the best player on Oregon’s defense, it would be a massive deal to miss Sewell for any length of time. We will see if he is back to practice on Thursday, and if he is, there should be nothing stopping him from playing in the spring game.
Safety Bryan Addison
(Photo courtesy of Ethan Landa)
“He’s dinged up, under the weather as well.”
Takeaway: There was a little bit less clarity on the absence of safety Bryan Addison, who Lanning said was dinged up and under the weather. Oregon doesn’t have an excess of depth in the defensive secondary, so it would be nice to be able to get Addison back before the spring game.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez
(Photo courtesy of Zachary Neel | USA Today Sports)
“He’s fine, he’s fine. Just being precautionary.”
Takeaway: Christian Gonzalez was out there with the team on Tuesday going through the stretching period, but he didn’t participate when the team broke into individual drills on anything beyond that. My guess, according to Lanning’s comments, is that Gonzalez likely got dinged up a little bit in Oregon’s scrimmage on Saturday and has a minor injury that should be nothing serious.
Because of his position, though, and the fact that fellow cornerback Dontae Manning is already out with an injury, this could be concerning for the Ducks, who currently don’t have an incredibly deep defensive secondary. if there is any position that becomes a focus in the transfer portal over the next couple of weeks, I would expect a heavy emphasis on cornerback.
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