Oregon coach Ra'Shaad Samples Discusses Fall Camp
On Monday Oregon running back coach Ra’Shaad Samples met with media to talk about his running back room. The Ducks have some returning talent and some new faces coming together.
Through the first week of Spring ball here is what Samples had to say about his room.
On Recruiting at Oregon:
“It’s been great. Just being here and getting connected with the staff. Some of the guys we’ve been able to recruit. We’ve been able to create some momentum in ’25 and ’26. It’s been fun learning how they do things here.”
On Da’Jaun Riggs: (Dink)
“Dink’s been awesome to work with. He’s a sponge. He’s the last one to leave. He’s the first one in meetings. He’s asking questions, he’s getting better every day. His ability to communicate has been really impressive.”
On Noah Whittington:
“He’s been fine out there so far. I don’t know if I can speak on if he’s going to be contact or not. But most of the part now is mental coming back from an injury. He’s been doing a great job. Today was one of his best days catching the ball through contact.”
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On a Pass-Catching Back:
“They all do different things. Noah has a great feel for space. A great feel for how to run option routes. Jayden has a great understanding of when it comes to third downs, understanding coverages. Jordan James is a hard person to tackle on the perimeter when he catches the ball. He’s a little demon out there. They all do different things in the pass game. The goal is for us to round out our room.”
On Rotation:
“You want to have 3 or 4 guys. You want to have two first and second down backs essentially. You want to have two guys that can be third down backs. The aspect of pass-catching. How to pick up exotic blitzes. How to see the field.”
Jhop’s Take:
After listening to coach Samples and others speak on this room it’s clear the Ducks have several backs they can lean on. I think it’s fair to say they’ll likely bring Noah Whittington back slowly this Summer and probably early into the season to make sure he’s available for the whole season. It sounds like transfer Jay Harris is adjusting to the speed of the game after moving up. He’s a guy I could see have a second half surge once he gets a little more comfortable. I also loved hearing about the emphasis on the pass-catching element coming out of the backfield.
