Oregon Ducks spring football game is Saturday. Here's what to watch for

The Oregon Ducks will have their annual spring football game on Saturday in front of fans for the first time since 2019.

Last year, the spring game was held in an empty stadium due to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown's office moving Lane County to "extreme risk" during the coronavirus pandemic. This year, the spring game will begin at 1 p.m., with parking lots set to open at 10:30 a.m. and gates opening at noon. Oregon's spring game also will air on the Pac-12 Network for those who cannot attend.

The first three quarters will simulate an actual game between the Yellow and Green teams. De'Anthony Thomas (offensive coordinator) and Haloti Ngata (defensive coordinator) will serve as honorary coaches for the Yellow team, while La'Michael James (offensive coordinator) and Arik Armstead (defensive coordinator) will coach the Green team. Many other former players and alumni will also be back in Eugene for the Spring Game.

Admission to the Spring Game is free, but fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation for FOOD for Lane County. Vaccinations and face coverings are no longer required at Autzen Stadium.

Here are the five things to watch during Oregon's spring game.

Quarterback battle

Bo Nix, Ty Thompson, and Jay Butterfield have been rotating between the first, second, and third-team offenses throughout the spring. As all three quarterbacks are vying for the starting job this fall, each should see a lot of snaps on Saturday.

Nix has the most experience out of all three players, as he played three seasons at Auburn before transferring to Oregon in December. Thompson is Oregon's highest recruited quarterback ever, but he rarely saw the field in his first season with the team because of starter Anthony Brown.

Butterfield also played sparingly during his time with the Ducks as he was a consensus four-star recruit. Oregon won't likely name its starting quarterback following Saturday's spring game, but Nix, Thompson and Butterfield could get a significant advantage heading into the summer into fall camp.

Who will step up at receiver?

Oregon's receiver room looks a lot different from a year ago. The young receivers will look to take more of a prominent role in the Ducks' offense beginning on Saturday.

The Alamo Bowl loss against Oklahoma was a coming-out party for Dont'e Thornton, Troy Franklin and Kris Hutson last December as the three combined for 14 receptions, 210 yards and three touchdowns.

Oregon also added Chase Cota this offseason, who was previously at UCLA. The Ducks have a lot of talent at receiver; it is just has been unproven talent up to this point.

How will the defensive line play without Kayvon Thibodeaux?

Now that Thibodeaux is no longer with the Ducks program, the team will need a new leader on the defensive line.

The good news for Oregon is that it has many talented players at the defensive end and line positions. Brandon Dorlus could be the player who fills Thibodeaux's footsteps as he finished with 25 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks last season.

Related:Oregon tight ends getting more involved in offensive playmaking under Lanning, Dillingham

Oregon also has Popo Aumavae, who was a Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention last season as he finished the season with 36 tackles and three tackles for loss.

The good news is the Ducks won their biggest game of the 2021 season without Thibodeaux as they defeated Ohio State 35-28 in Week 2.

Will Justin Flowe play?

During Tuesday's practice, Justin Flowe took snaps with the second-team defense. It was his first work during an 11-on-11 period during media availability this spring.

It's still unknown if Flowe will play during Saturday's spring game. During his time at Oregon, Flowe has been riddled with injuries. He appeared in just one game in 2020 because of a knee injury.

In 2021, Flowe started in the Ducks' season opener against Fresno State as he earned the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor after registering 14 total tackles, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. But he missed the rest of the season due to a foot injury.

If Flowe can play and stay healthy, it will provide a significant boost to the defense, especially playing alongside Noah Sewell.

Will any of the recruits visiting commit this weekend?

Oregon has several high school recruits visiting Eugene this weekend. During events like Saturday's spring game, some of them could decide to verbally commit to a particular program.

Some of the players expected to visit during Saturday's spring game include five-star defensive end Jayden Wayne, five-star running back Richard Young, five-star quarterback Jaden Rashada and four-star wide receiver Johntay Cook.

Contact Register-Guard sportswriter Antwan Staley at astaley@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @antwanstaley.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: What to watch for during the Oregon Ducks' spring football game