What will it take for a true freshman to crack Oregon’s two-deep in 2023?

Time and time again throughout his first 19 months as Oregon’s head coach, Dan Lanning has been asked about specific true freshmen, and whether they might have a chance to make an immediate impact for the Ducks.

The response is almost always the same.

“I’ve said it a bunch but if you’re good enough, you’re old enough,” Lanning responded at Oregon’s media last week.

This year’s version of the Ducks features a few players who are going to test that theory. Oregon boasts a 2023 singing class that was the eighth-best in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Several of the program’s early enrollees looked capable of pushing for playing time during spring ball, and several others could be depended on due to depth concerns at their respective positions.

Last season, Lanning and his staff were somewhat reluctant to give consistent playing time to their true frosh. Just five players from the 2022 signing class burnt their redshirts. Jahlil Florence (211 snaps) and Josh Conerly Jr. (118) were the only players from that group to eclipse the 100-snap mark.

So, what will it take for an Oregon true freshman to see the field on a consistent basis this season?

“A lot of it starts with hitting the reset button and not letting one mistake become the next mistake and the mistake after,” Lanning said on Saturday. “You’re going to make some mistakes, especially early. But it’s about being able to hit the reset button and keep going on. One thing that is distinctly different this fall compared to last fall, is that we didn’t have the bodies to even go two-spot in practice. We had to go 7-on-7 on one field and team 11-on-11 on the other.

“We have that now. We have a deeper team. We have more players who can play and are available. That is allowing those younger players to develop quicker.”

While speaking with reporters on Friday, first-year offensive coordinator Will Stein gave a more straightforward response to the same question.

“Being able to get lined up, run the right route, execute their assignment,” Stein said. “True freshmen are… you’d love to play them all. Obviously, this is a tough game at this level. The intensity, the physicality, the emotion, the knowledge that you have to add to play at an extremely high level to go win game after game. It’s tough to get as a freshman. But some can.

“So just get a little bit better each day, and all those kids have done really good so far.”

Throughout spring ball EDGE Matayo Uiagalelei and defensive back Cole Martin were consistently mentioned by teammates and coaches as freshmen who were impressing.

Uiagalelei, the No. 40 overall prospect in the 2023 class, has the clearest path to playing time. Oregon isn’t exactly stocked with depth at outside linebacker or defensive end, and Uiagalelei has already flashed the ability to contribute at both spots.

Cole Martin, the No. 216 overall prospect in his class, arguably was one of the best players on the field during Oregon’s spring game. He’ll be in the mix for considerable playing time at nickel, especially now that veteran defensive back JJ Greenfield has left the program.

Lanning mentioned Uiagalelei and Martin, among others, as ’23 signees who’s preparation and attention to detail have stood out.

“It’s probably a little early now to say that,” Lanning said. “Cole Martin is a guy who gets up here every single morning early and spends a lot of time in his craft. It’s really showing up. Matayo is a guy who has done that. Teitum Tuioti showed up with two really big plays yesterday. There are some guys on offense; Austin Novosad has made huge strides since the spring to now. There’s a lot of guys who’ve stood out and a lot of guys who’ve put in the extra work.”

In the secondary, a handful of first-year players have caught the attention of Oregon co-DC and safeties coach Chris Hampton.

“I’ll tell you, our freshmen — (Martin), Kodi DeCambra, Tyler Turner, and (Colin Gill) — they’ve caught on really really fast,” Hampton said. “They’ve caught on a lot faster than I thought they would because we have a lot of volume to our defense. But they’ve done a good job of adjusting and they’ve been here throughout the summer. It’s been good for them.”

At this time last year, Oregon was preparing for a marquee showdown with defending national champion Georgia in Atlanta for its season-opener. During the blowout loss that ensued, only two of the Ducks’ true freshmen saw the field. Florence played 21 snaps, and running back Jordan James played 17.

This year’s season opener with Portland State in Eugene should, in theory, offer a greater opportunity for true freshmen to contribute.

But, only time will tell.

“I think everyone we want to recruit, they all believe they have opportunities,” Lanning said. “But it’s about the opportunity they take advantage of. We don’t prepare differently based on the first opponent. We have to work really hard based on whoever we’re playing. If you’re ready to play, you will. It’s our job to get some of those guys ready to play if they can help us.

“We’ll see how that comes. It’s too early right now to put a time stamp on that.”

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