For Bleu Dantzler, getting to Oregon was the fulfillment of a dream. Staying on the field for the Ducks, however, will require him to prove himself every day. The sophomore outside linebacker arrived in Eugene this offseason from Oregon State, after a 2-10 season and a coaching change spurred Dantzler to enter the transfer portal. The move brought Dantzler back to the school he had dreamed of attending since middle school and reunited him with an Oregon coaching staff that saw potential in the Chandler, Arizona, product when he was being recruited out of high school.
"(Oregon edge coach) coach Kam (Araghi) was one of the first guys to hit me up and I thought it was a no-brainer, kind of off the rip," said Dantzler, who described his one season as a Beaver as a “roller coaster of emotions. There's a lot of stuff that we went through over there but all in all, we fought.” He’s continued to do so since arriving in Eugene, where the 6-foot-2, 241-pounder joined a position group with, among others, future NFL talent in Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti, and rising star Nasir Wyatt. The winter and spring became a learning period as Dantzler worked to establish the habits necessary to succeed at Oregon. "It was tough because I loved being here," he said. "... But there was a lot of mistakes made on my part, just trying to get a daily schedule, daily habits, trying to learn the system." Araghi saw those growing pains, but he also saw a player willing to respond to coaching. "Bleu is going to bring it every single day," Araghi said. "The young man cares. When we talk about what we're looking for in our room, it's somebody who's going to show up every single day, play relentlessly and want to know all the details. He does a great job of that." That attention to detail has become an important part of Dantzler's development. He isn't simply learning how to rush the passer, he's learning how to play the complete outside linebacker position. "I would definitely say working in space, being a true outside linebacker, you know, coverage downs, dropping back," Dantzler said. "That's something I did at Oregon State a little bit. In high school I didn't do much of that."
The ability to play in space is one part of the position. The other is taking advantage of the skills Dantzler already possesses as a pass rusher. "He has a phenomenal get-off in his pass rush," Araghi said. "Even with his stature and not being the biggest guy, he's strong. He does a really good job of striking and being powerful in the C-gap." For Araghi, the next step isn't necessarily about adding a specific move to Dantzler's pass-rush arsenal. It's about doing what he already does well on a more consistent basis. "I'm really excited about Bleu, and I'm looking for him to bring more consistency each day," Araghi said. "That's what I'm challenging him with. What I love about Bleu is that he accepts the challenge." Coach Dan Lanning echoed that sentiment. "Early on, we do a lot on that side of the ball so you've got to learn a lot," Lanning said. "He's been a guy who has put in the time to learn a lot, and there's still a lot of room for improvement, but he's proven he can be a guy who can help us." That willingness to accept coaching has helped Dantzler regain confidence after a difficult transition. The spring game represented one of those turning points as he had three tackles and 1½ sacks in the game. "I was just able to go out there and play," Dantzler said. "I think I did a good job and I think that gave me a lot of confidence going into the summer window and up until fall camp." He also has experienced players around him to learn from. "It's been incredible. Teitum is a guy who's going to show up and work his butt off every single day. So is Matayo," Dantzler said. "Even the young guys in the room that we got, they show up to work every day and they work." That competition and culture are exactly what Dantzler was hoping to find when he made the move to Eugene. "They've lived up to my expectations 100%," he said. "Going back to my middle-school days, this was my dream school. Just to be here, they've met every expectation." Now he wants to return the favor with a productive season. "My true goal has been to just get on the field and help the team in any way I can," Dantzler said. "I feel like I have natural pass-rush ability." Chris Hansen covers University of Oregon football, men’s basketball, track and field, cross country and softball for The Register-Guard. You can reach him at chansen@registerguard.com and This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Why Oregon State transfer Bleu Dantzler is ready to shine as a Duck