Oregon Ducks Co-Defensive Coordinator and secondary coach Chris Hampton met with reporters in Eugene on Monday afternoon following the fourth practice of fall camp.
Below are some of the most notable quotes from his media availability.
On contingency plan at nickel if Daylen Austin misses time
Hampton: “We’ve got multiple guys working there, not just Daylen. We got Jadon Canady, Dillon’s doing it, Zach Grisham‘s having a heck of a camp so far. We’ve got plans. We’ve got plenty of DBs. Hopefully he’s with us, but if the decision is that he’s not with us for a while, we’ve got a plan.”
On competition at safety with so much youth
Hampton: “Great. We’ve had an outstanding competition, young guys, old guys. There’s no depth chart right now. We’re letting everybody roll. Different guys are going with different groups. We’re going with what we call green, yellow. So everybody’s getting the same amount of reps. We’re splitting guys up working with different combinations. The competition’s been great. Today was one of our most competitive days. Probably the most competitive so far.”
On growth of safety room from spring through summer
Hampton: “I thought we had a really good group following the spring. All those guys were here in the spring and going into fall. So I thought this summer they took tremendous gains in the weight room, in the offseason. We had the opportunity this summer to get some meetings with them so I thought the guys learned a lot. Know the system a lot better, they’re playing a lot faster than they did in the spring. So I think we’re going in the right direction right now.”
On Ify Obidegwu
Hampton: “Ify’s having a great camp, but there’s a lot of guys having a great camp right now. But he’s definitely having one of the better outputs in the secondary. So he’s just gotta continue to grow, continue to get better. We’ve only had five practices. We’ve got a long way until August 30. Everyday is competition. We’ve got great players, so you’ve gotta bring it each and every day. Nobody owns a position right now. Ify knows that. But I definitely expect big things out of him this season.”
On Kingston Lopa building upon his performance in the Big Ten title game
Hampton: “I think he really changed his body first. He got in the weight room. Hit the weights hard. He’s probably put on about 15 pounds of muscle this offseason. That’s the first thing I think he did. He has a greater understanding of what we’re doing right now on defense. Year two in the system, he gets it. So I expect another guy, just like Ify to have a great season for us.”
On what he’s seen from Theran Johnson:
Hampton: “We’ve got a good group. Theran’s been a guy that’s came in, he’s learned the system. He’s highly intelligent. Today I think was his best day. Gotta go watch the film, but just from watching from the sideline, he made a lot of plays. He had some ball production. Hopefully tomorrow and the next day and the next day is better than today was. But today was one of his better days and (if) he continues to go like he’s going today, he’ll have another great year for us.”
On impact of Jahlil Florence‘s return
Hampton: “The big thing you said was leadership. I think he brings that to the group. He’s been here for a while. Longer than anyone in the room. He understands the scheme, knows what we’re doing. He knows the standard. He knows what’s expected. He motivates the guys on the sideline. So he’s definitely gotta take on a leadership role for us and I think he’s ready to do that.”
On what Dillon Thieneman needs to do this season to make himself a first-round NFL draft pick
Hampton: “I think he’s gotta have a great season. He needs to tackle well. Have some great ball production. Be a great communicator, which he’s done. He’s working hard enough to do it. He’s trying his best to do it, it’s just a matter of how he plays in the season I think.”
