Oregon
Next stop Oregon State: Former Northern Colorado football player Nick Norris leaving Bears for Beavers
The changes to the University of Northern Colorado football team for next fall keep rolling in.
After a winless season in 2023, that’s probably a good thing for the Bears. Change is also the norm in college football these days.
Two assistant coaches were confirmed last week to be leaving the program. Players also come and go, and at least a few UNC guys have entered into the transfer portal, declaring their intention to play elsewhere in 2024.
The transfer portal is a database created by the NCAA in 2018. It’s not available for public consumption. The information is visible to colleges and universities and is operated through compliance offices.
The portal opened in late November for graduate players and on Dec. 4 for undergraduate players. The undergraduate portal is open for 30 days. Graduate transfers may jump in at any time.
One of those UNC graduate transfers is defensive lineman Nick Norris, who committed to Oregon State last week.
Let’s get to work Beaver Nation! 🦫🔒@Coach_Bray @BeaverFootball pic.twitter.com/tCcL1zhSFO
— Nick Norris (@nnorris1212) December 11, 2023
Based on information on social media, which is how players communicate their intentions and moves, Norris’ transfer to Oregon State appears to be the biggest football school to date to be a landing spot for a former UNC player.
Oregon State is a Football Bowl Subdivision program, which is the highest level of Division I football. The Beavers’ world was recently thrown into disarray with the crumbling of the Pac-12 Conference, which has roots reaching back about 100 years.
Other UNC players from 2023 who announced their intention to get into the portal: linebacker Jordan Knapke, defensive back Dustin Johnson, tight end Alec Pell, wide receiver Ty Arrington, offensive lineman Jackson Hoops, linebacker Tofa Wilson, linebacker Vincent King and wide receiver Blake Haggerty.
King and Haggerty are undergraduate transfers.
OFFICIALLY IN THE TRANSFER PORTAL WITH 3 YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY
2023: 10GP, 49recs,515yds, 3tds@farrellportal @CollegeFBPortal @SixZeroAcademyFull highlights: https://t.co/ac25iaQ0cI pic.twitter.com/ehbcqFmmYi
— blake haggerty (@BlakeHaggerty1) December 4, 2023
Norris, 21, will have two years of eligibility remaining with the move to Oregon State. He earned his bachelor’s degree earlier this month in exercise science with an emphasis on human performance and a minor in nutrition.
Norris didn’t play most of the 2023 season after having an operation in October to repair a broken bone in his wrist. He said the healing process is going well. He started occupational therapy last week. He’s “very confident” that the bone will be fully healed, he said, and that he’ll be able to compete for a position on the field and play next season.
“Knock on wood, it’s the best that it’s felt in a year now,” he said.
Norris said he opted to transfer because he wanted to continue to play football while pursuing a master’s degree. He said the scheduling between school and football would be tough at UNC come fall and “that, by far, was the biggest impact of the decision.”
Norris’ graduate work will be in kinesiology.
Norris is from Fort Morgan. He played football at Fort Morgan High School ,and he’s back there working out six days a week in preparation for the move to Oregon State next month.
“It was one of the toughest decisions I had to make,” he said. “Coming from a small town, and UNC was one of the only Division I schools that recruited me, I called that place home.”
Norris said he played football in Greeley when he started with the game as a second grader. The family drove from Fort Morgan for several years when he was a youth player.
The recent shuffling of conference alignments, another massive change in college football, left only Oregon State and Washington State to continue to hold up the banner of the Pac-12. The schools are poised to do just that for 2024 while continuing to play former members Oregon and Washington and aligning with Mountain West Conference schools.
Oregon State’s schedule next fall includes Oregon, Purdue, California (also a former Pac-12 school headed to the ACC), Colorado State, Boise State and Air Force.
The changes in the Pac-12 didn’t factor heavily into Norris’ decision to play at Oregon State. He said he chose the school because of the coaching staff and kinesiology program.
Norris was recruited to Corvallis by new head coach Trent Bray, who was named to the job after former head coach Jonathan Smith took the same job at Michigan State.
Michigan State is in the Big Ten where former Pac-12 schools UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington will be members starting in the fall.
“I would say minimal impact because of the coaching staff when it came to football,” Norris said. “I would say the decision, the stuff I weighed heavily, was the coaching and kinesiology.”
Republican Mike Erickson, left, is attempting his fourth run for Congress to represent Oregon’s 6th Congressional District. His race against incumbent Andrea Salinas, who bested him for the seat in 2022, is expected to be close, though national politics watchers give Salinas an edge.Courtesy of the Mike Erickson and Andrea Salinas campaigns
Week 5 of college football brings uniform heat that combines history with style.
The Oregon Ducks will make their Big Ten debut Saturday, renewing their Pac-12 rivalry against the UCLA Bruins.
In their matchup with an old foe, the Ducks will wear their “Mighty Oregon” throwback uniforms. The jerseys were inspired by the Ducks’ 1997 game against the Washington Huskies, where Oregon held a 24-3 lead before allowing Washington to score 25 consecutive points. Oregon then scored a touchdown in the final minutes to secure the victory.
Here are the rest of the best uniform combinations from Week 5 of college football.
It’s homecoming week for theMiami (Ohio) RedHawks, and their threads pay homage to history. The RedHawks will honor the legacy of the Western College for Women with blue jerseys, white pants and red trim against the Massachusetts Minutemen. The colors on the uniform represent the merging of Miami and Western College in 1974.
The jersey features a Miami logo patch on the right shoulder of the jersey that can be tapped by phones. The patch connects to a website that gives information about Miami’s homecoming, according to Miami’s athletic department.
Penn State has gotten off to an undefeated start this season. In their biggest test yet, the Nittany Lions will break out their “Generations of Greatness” threads against the No. 19-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. The jerseys pay homage to the best Penn State teams since the late 1950s, with numbering, lion shrine, pant stripes and helmets.
The Boise State Broncoshave made their way into the AP Top 25 after a promising start to the beginning of their season — falling only to Oregon in Week 2, 37-34. With the Broncos looking to defend their No. 25 spot, they’ll break out a flashy blue look with gray lettering and orange trim against the Washington State Cougars.
The Arizona Wildcats will have another test in Week 5 after falling to the No. 14 Kansas State Wildcats in Week 3, but no loss can stop their style. The Wildcats are going all white against the No. 10-ranked Utah Utes.
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EUGENE- The No. 8 Oregon Ducks football team is preparing for its upcoming Big Ten conference debut on Saturday, Sept. 28 against a familiar opponent: the UCLA Bruins. The Ducks and Bruins will kick off at 8 p.m. in a late-night game under the lights of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
The Ducks enter conference play looking to remain undefeated. Oregon improved to 3-0 following a 49-14 win over their in-state rivals, the Oregon State Beavers, in their most recent matchup prior to their bye week.
“Our guys come out here and work every single week,” said Oregon coach Dan Lanning. “Sometimes a bye week can be a lull for teams. I thought our guys have attacked it with the proper approach of finding ways to continue to improve and get better. We talk about having a player-led team. I think that’s really shown up for our guys over the last several weeks, and it’s certainly shown up throughout the season so far.”
How to Watch
No. 8 Oregon (3-0) kicks off at 8 p.m. PT at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The game is broadcast on FOX.
The game will also be available on streaming services such as Sling TV, FUBO, and YouTube TV.
Preview
Oregon is looking to keep up its momentum as the team heads into the Rose Bowl Saturday night to face UCLA. Various Ducks have been instrumental to Oregon’s success this season. Oregon starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel has thrown for 914 yards and 6 touchdowns on 84 percent passing. Wide receiver Tez Johnson leads the Ducks with 22 receptions for 190 yards and two touchdowns, while tight end Terrance Ferguson has 159 receiving yards as well on the year.
Oregon has struggled on the offensive line, especially with the absence of center Matthew Bedford, who will not be available against UCLA on Saturday, 28th. Despite flaws on the offensive line, other position groups on Oregon’s defense have been successful. Linebacker and dual-sport athlete Bryce Boettcher has a team-high 25 total tackles, while Matayo Uiagalelei has two sacks on the season so far. Oregon’s secondary has also shown strength in Oregon’s non-conference games. Defensive backs Brandon Johnson and Nikko Reed each have an interception on the season, while Washington transfer cornerback Jabbar Muhammed has been able to lock down opponents’ top receivers.
UCLA (1-2), on the other hand, is off to a relatively rough start this season. The Bruins are looking to prove themselves after back-to-back losses, including a 34-17 loss to LSU on Saturday, Sept. 21. However, UCLA’s previous losses are no reason to count them out of this game. Although the Bruins lost to LSU, they managed to stay in the game and walked into halftime tied against one of the nation’s top football powerhouses.
UCLA has managed to cover the spread in seven of its last eight games as an underdog when playing with a rest disadvantage, while Oregon has failed to cover the spread in its last four games as a favorite when playing with a rest advantage.
UCLA receiver Rico Flores Jr. has dominated the Bruins’ offense, leading the team with nine catches for 160 yards and a touchdown. Running back TJ Harden leads the team in rushing with 72 yards. Defensively, Kain Medrano and Carson Schwesinger each have a team-high 21 total tackles with Medrano adding 18 solo tackles.
Although there have been high points for the Bruins, the likelihood of UCLA pulling off an upset against the No. 8 Ducks is low. Oregon has won each of its last 18 September games against non-AP-ranked teams, while UCLA has lost four of its last five games against conference opponents.
UCLA’s run game has been less than successful so far this season, which is not ideal when going up against Oregon’s defense, which managed to limit Heisman hopeful running back Ashton Jeanty earlier this season.
Prediction:
While UCLA has shown flashes of potential, Oregon is the clear favorite in this matchup. The Ducks have a strong offense, a solid defense, and a proven track record of success in September games. Additionally, UCLA’s run game has struggled this season, which could be a major problem against Oregon’s defense.
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