The dog days of summer have arrived. And while there’s little cause for celebration during this portion of the calendar, there is good news to report:
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview has arrived as well!
As fall camp fast approaches, WFOD will be rolling out an in-depth series of position-by-position previews to help you fully prepare for the upcoming season.
Our Fall Camp Preview series concludes Wednesday with a breakdown of Oregon’s specialists.
As always, you can find the most up-to-date look at the Oregon depth chart by visiting our Living Depth Chart page.
The Headliner
It’s hard to argue that Ducks junior placekicker Adam Stack is an ideal fit for this particular category, but in a way, it feels fitting because of the spotlight that figures to be on him throughout the season. It’s no secret that Oregon was less than satisfactory on special teams last season, as much of the criticism swirled around Stack and his inconsistencies in the kicking game.
In his first full season as kicker taking over for Aidan Schneider, who graduated as one of the top kickers in program history at the end of the 2017 season, Stack struggled to find his range, going just 6-for-10 on his field goal attempts with his longest make coming from 39 yards out. In fact, on attempts of 40 yards or more, Stack was 0-for-2. An injury lingered with Stack for most of the season and even into the spring, which certainly didn’t help matters, but any coach will tell you that if you’re able to compete, you have to perform, and Stack fell short of that expectation a season ago.
How Stack has rebounded from his injuries will be something to watch as fall camp gets underway on August 2, but one has to imagine that a repeat of last season’s performance in the kicking game likely won’t fly for Cristobal and special teams coach Bobby Williams. If Stack’s struggles continue, keep an eye on junior walk-on Zach Emerson from Bend. Emerson started the first three games for the Ducks last season, converting 21-of-22 extra point attempts but would miss his only field goal.
The Supporting Ensemble
If you’re looking for a little positivity in the Oregon special teams department heading into the 2019 season, look no further than fifth-year senior Blake Maimone, who enters fall camp as the expected starting punter. A walk-on from Thousand Oaks, Calif., the 6-foot-6, 228-pound Maimone was somewhat of a bright spot for the Ducks when they were forced to punt, averaging 42.5 yards per attempt, ranking him fifth among all Pac-12 punters. Maimone showed off an accurate, yet powerful leg, as 13 of his 45 punts were downed inside the 20 (only three touchbacks), while eight traveled 50 yards or more.
However, as well as Maimone played last season, he’ll be pushed by sophomore Tom Snee. The former Australian Rules football player from Melbourne saw his first live action in a football game during last season’s season opener vs. Bowling Green before going on to appear in nine more games. The man snapping the ball to Maimone and Snee will be sophomore Karsten Battles, who will take over snapping duties with the punt team after Devin Melendez starred in that role last season. Battles, however, appeared in all 13 games and served as the long snapper on every field goal and extra point attempt as a true freshman.
The Intriguing New Cast Member
The Ducks have no shortage of high-profile freshmen who will make their college debuts this season, but an argument can made that none of them are perhaps as potentially important as Camden Lewis.
Given Oregon’s tormented kicking situation, the door is wide open for Lewis to come and make an early impact for the Ducks as their starting placekicker, particularly after he was on hand this spring competing for jobs as both placekicker and kickoff specialist. As a high schooler, the former Minnesota verbal commit was rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, demonstrating a powerful leg that had him averaging 58.1 yards on kickoffs. Accuracy in the kicking game, however, wasn’t his strong suit. According to MaxPreps, Lewis was just 13-of-27 on his field goal attempts over the course of his varsity football career, with his longest make coming from 51 yards out.
The Stirring Subplot
Who takes the reins as Oregon’s full-time placekicker?
Few things are as mercurial as college kickers. Oregon, more so than most programs over the last decade or so, knows that truth oh so well, making their current plight at kicker all the more frustrating.
Stack, like so many others, arrived at Oregon with impressive credentials and plenty of promise, but for a multitude of reasons, hasn’t been able to find his groove in Eugene. Lewis comes to the Ducks with similar pomp and circumstance surrounding his game, but is a freshman whose next kick will be his first at the collegiate level. Emerson, like Schneider, is a walk-on with a big leg, but unlike Schneider, the Bend native has not been able to overtake Stack for the full-time gig even with Stack being hampered by injury. Fall camp will no doubt offer further insight into how the battle at placekicker will play out, but considering the target the Ducks are shooting for in 2019, wonky aim from field goal range is a recurring theme that this team simply cannot accept.
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Quarterbacks
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Running Backs
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Wide Receivers
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Tight Ends
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Offensive Line
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Defensive Line
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Linebackers
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Cornerbacks
WFOD’s 2019 Fall Camp Preview – The Safeties