30 in 30: Hustle and Flowe

Number 19: He’s played a touch more than four quarters over two seasons, but perhaps no player outside of quarterback changes Oregon’s outlook more than Justin Flowe

His arms locked in a forceful showcase, outstretched to either side. His head cocked back and let go a primal scream, one undoubtedly held tight for the better part of a year. He had just made a big play in a game that few expected required any, in a role we weren’t sure he was ready for. But here he was, all fast-twitch fibers and primordial instinct, 14 tackles down in his first actual game, almost 20 months after he first donned the green and yellow.

Then, in a flick of fate, he was gone once again, another season lost to the unforgiving injury Gods.

Now, healthy again, we’re once again waiting to see what Justin Flowe can do; this time, we have an actual sample, one that begs the questions:

How good can this kid be? And how much better can he be with the new staff?

Justin Flowe is an enigma. On the one hand, we have hours of high school tape, legendary for its violence, tenacity, and potential. We have the 14 tackle performance last season against Fresno State, where he burst onto the national scene midway through the first quarter and single-handedly raised Oregon’s season.

On the other hand, we have almost two full seasons lost to injuries. As singular as each injury was, showing no signs of chronic issues, it’s still concerning. Then we ask: if he stays healthy and performs how we dream, will this be it, and then he’s off to capitalize on the NFL?

The final question is one for another day but is a real possibility if two things happen.

Suppose Flowe stays healthy for the entire season. And, if he meshes with the staff, and new head coach Dan Lanning and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi unleash him much like Lanning did with his linebackers at Georgia, then it’s almost a formality, he is gone.

And we should all be rooting like hell for that to happen.

Because as much as another season of Flowe would be fun, one spectacular season under Lanning, with his attacking and unrelenting defense, could be something we have never seen before in Eugene. The reality is there has never been another player like Flowe in these parts, and there have been very few like him in the sport ever.

Insane praise for a kid who has played five quarters? You bet. Accurate when considering his physical traits? You bet again.

“I’ve grown tremendously as a young man. I thank God for giving me these hardships,” Flowe said on media day before fall camp. “I’d rather go through them now than later in life.”

We know what Oregon will be throughout much of the roster. Noah Sewell is almost a lock to go on day one of the Draft, and he’s surrounded by good talent, many of who will go late in the Draft. But no one, not even Sewell, does what Flowe can. Hell, we saw it on display for one game under Tim DeRuyter; now imagine him healthy, stronger, faster, wiser, unleashed, and hair on fire led by Lanning.

He has the power to take Oregon’s defense into overdrive. Flowe and Sewell should be the most dynamic linebacking duo in the country. We need to see them for the whole season.

“I can’t wait. I just pray he stays healthy,” Sewell said. “He can do some crazy things that I’ve never seen before, and his motor is top tier.”