00:00I'm Bria Maranthas with Oregon Ducks on SI with tight end Andrew Olesch.
00:05Okay, Andrew, you were at the Oregon Penn State game, but you were on the opposite sideline.
00:11What do you remember most about that game?
00:14Yeah, I mean, I remember, I mean, both teams played a really good game.
00:18Obviously, I was on the right side of it, but I was really impressed with Oregon had
00:22and how they finished off the game.
00:24But overall, I mean, really good game on both sides.
00:27You got to watch it if you haven't.
00:29Did that maybe change your perception of how you saw the Ducks?
00:33Yeah, a little bit, because I saw, you know, after they won the game,
00:36obviously everybody was disappointed on our sideline, but I kind of, I was like, damn.
00:40You know, they were recruiting me in high school, so I was like,
00:43I could have been on that side of the ball.
00:44But, I mean, at the end of the day, though, I don't regret picking Penn State.
00:49They did a lot for me.
00:50Coach Franklin, Coach Howell, all of them did a really, really good job.
00:54And, you know, it's unfortunate how stuff turned out, but I'm very, very happy where I'm at now.
01:00Yeah.
01:00What about Oregon Coach Dan Lanning's culture made you really excited to transfer here?
01:05Yeah, I mean, just how often, you know, he's a winning coach.
01:09I mean, you look at the stats, you look at the past couple years, he's been getting better and better
01:13every year.
01:13So, I mean, he just has a program I really wanted to be a part of.
01:17What have you learned most from tight end Jamari Johnson so far?
01:21Yeah, I mean, he's, obviously, he's a great tight end.
01:24You gotta ask anybody on our team.
01:25You know, I've learned a lot, just, like, the way he runs routes.
01:29He's really smooth, and that's, like, one of my biggest strengths is the passing game
01:33and just seeing, like, stuff I can learn off of him.
01:36That helps my game a lot, and he's a really good blocker, too.
01:38So, I mean, he's all around a great player.
01:41You learn a lot from him just by watching the film.
01:44Really great player, great guy, too.
01:46What is the biggest, like, number one difference in you from this time last year to right now?
01:53I think my confidence.
01:54I think last year, that was something I struggled with a lot.
01:58But, you know, as you get older, as you, you know, develop in the game,
02:02like, I feel like the game slows down, and you get more confident as you go.
02:05So, I think for me, the biggest thing is confidence.
02:08How has it been maybe developing some chemistry with quarterback Dante Moore so far?
02:13Yeah, he's, you know, Dante's a great quarterback.
02:16You can ask anybody on the team.
02:18You know, he's good.
02:20He's really confident.
02:22He puts the ball in the perfect spot every time.
02:25Like, it's crazy.
02:27Like, you could get, like, covered like a blanket on one play, and then the next thing you know,
02:31he puts the ball in a spot that you can make a play on it.
02:34And just, you know, he's a really good player, and I'm excited to, you know, keep building chemistry with him.
02:38It seems like the team really trusts him.
02:41What is he doing behind the scenes to maybe earn that trust?
02:44I mean, he's just working hard.
02:46Because at the end of the day, you know, you come to Oregon, and if you put the time and
02:49put in the work,
02:50you're going to develop.
02:51And I think that's what Dante is really good at is, you know, putting in hard work.
02:56And that's why he's where he's at.
02:58Yeah.
02:58So, obviously, Drew Marringer gets promoted to OC.
03:04What do you know about him, and how does it feel with him as OC?
03:07Yeah, he's one of the main reasons I came to Oregon.
03:10You know, it does feel really good that, you know, he was a tight end coach last year,
03:14and now he's the coordinator.
03:15So, you know, he knows how to get the tight ends of the ball.
03:18So, that's going to, you know, that's a really good thing to have.
03:21He's a great coach, great person, too.
03:23What is it about Coach Dan Lanning that maybe makes him different from other coaches that you've had?
03:29Yeah, that's a great question.
03:31You know, Coach Lanning, he's not just about football.
03:35He's also about, like, family.
03:37He's not just about business.
03:38Like, he's going to, you know, he's going to randomly text you one day
03:41or randomly call you one day just to ask how you're doing.
03:43And that's something, like, that's something I really appreciate.
03:46Like, he's not just for football.
03:47He's for family and stuff outside of football.
03:50So, I'd say, yeah, that.
03:53Is there, how would you describe the tight ends room?
03:57Like, a lot of times, you know, people, we can't be in your room.
04:01So, how would you describe the camaraderie?
04:03Yeah, you know, we're a really competitive group,
04:05and we're always pushing each other every single day to get better and better.
04:08So, at the end of the day, like, we want Oregon to win football games.
04:12So, we're going to do what we can to push each other and get better and better every day.
04:16Yeah.
04:16Okay, I'm going to have you finish some of these sentences for me.
04:19Okay.
04:20Oregon coach, Dane Lanning, is happiest when?
04:25Happiest when we win.
04:28Oregon coach, Dane Lanning, is most intense when?
04:32Let me jump off sides.
04:37That actually really made me laugh.
04:38Yeah, I thought it had his job.
04:39That's a good one.
04:40The toughest player on this team is?
04:43The toughest player?
04:49Oh, that's a good one.
04:50That's a really good one.
04:51We got a lot of good players and tough players.
04:55I'm going to give it to my man, Mateo.
04:57Okay, I like that pick.
04:58He's actually the first time I've heard that one today.
05:02The coolest part about playing for Oregon is?
05:06The fans.
05:09Last but not least, the Ducks can be the best team in the country because?
05:16Because we got the best head-in group in the country.
05:18Come on.
05:19You know what I'm saying?
05:20I like the confidence there.
05:22That's exactly what I was hoping to hear.
05:23Okay, who is one player that Ducks fans should be talking more about?
05:27Like, needs more attention right now?
05:28Needs more attention?
05:29Like, on our team or just in general?
05:31Yeah, on your team.
05:31On our team?
05:32I'd say, I mean, he's already kind of talked about, but J-Mac, he's a really good receiver
05:39and he puts a lot of good stuff on tape.
05:41And I'm excited to see what he does this season.
05:43It seems like he's really outgoing and really, like, kind of brings everybody together.
05:49Is that kind of what he's like behind the scenes?
05:51Yeah, yeah, 100%.
05:53He's got a great personality.
05:55The guy's great.
05:56And then is there maybe a true freshman that has turned some heads?
06:00Yeah, there's a couple.
06:02Yeah, we got a lot of good guys.
06:03My buddy, Kendre, is really good.
06:07There's a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball.
06:09I think Trudarian Ball, he's a running back.
06:12He just came in this year.
06:13He's really good.
06:15Obviously, guys on the defensive side of the ball, but I think we got a lot of good freshmen
06:18coming in.
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