Helfrich Has High Hopes

February 7, 2013, 4:37 pm

Many questions were raised when Chip Kelly left the Oregon Ducks to become the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. New Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich answered many of those questions on National Signing Day yesterday by successfully keeping together the Ducks’ recruiting class and picking up a couple of high-profile recruits late in the recruiting process. Helfrich joined the BFT on Thursday to talk about his first recruiting class.

When asked about if he considers anything about a potential recruit other than his talent, Helfrich said the first thing the team looks at is whether or not the player will fit into the team’s culture. He also went on to highlight the character of some recruits who were so committed to the Oregon program they were trying recruit other players who played the same position as the players that were calling them.

As the conversation transitioned towards talking about individual recruits, Helfrich talked about the “huge upside” of twin brothers Tyree and Tyrell Robinson, who both signed their letters of intent to attend Oregon yesterday.

“Just dynamic,” Helfrich said of the Robinson brothers. “They’re the type of guys that are probably great pool players and great cricket players – whatever they do they’re great at [it].”

Helfrich went on to say he wasn’t sure when local linemen recruits Evan Voeller and Doug Brenner would see playing time, but that offensive line coach Steve Greatwood was “excited” to get both players on campus. Brenner is the younger brother of University of Oregon multi-sport star Liz Brenner, who Helfrich joked he might try to recruit to play alongside her brother.

“We’re trying to suit her up,” joked Helfrich. “That would be like her ninth sport I think she’s participated in at Oregon, so yeah, we’re going to try to recruit her.”

With the announced deregulations to communications like texting and social media between recruits and athletic programs coming into effect this summer, Helfrich was asked to give his take on the new  NCAA rules.

“Communication is great, and relationship-building is great,” said Helfrich. “[But] I would just hate to be a Thomas Tyner type of recruit – that guy’s going to get a thousand text messages a day. Every day.”

“I think we just have to think this through a little more and see what happens.”

To listen to the entire interview, click below:

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