Can Justin Flowe remain healthy for an entire season? That’s the big question Oregon Duck fans want to know. In his two years in Eugene, the uber talented linebacker has played in a total of two games.
As a freshman in 2020, he played two snaps before tearing his meniscus and was lost for the season. In the season opener in 2021, Flowe had an outstanding game with 14 tackles, one for a loss, and a forced fumble. Flowe was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week but suffered a season-ending foot injury during the game.
The 6’2”, 235lbs defender was one of Oregon’s top commits in the 2020 recruiting class; he was ranked No. 10 overall by ESPN, and was the No. 1 ILB two years ago. Flowe routinely blew up plays in high school, logging 48 tackles for loss and 24 sacks in his four seasons in Upland, California. He was essentially a heat-seeking missile, averaging over 11 tackles per game.
The linebacker has good straight-line speed and is a physical defender. Flowe is relentless and knows how to take on blockers and disengage from them, which is crucial for his position to succeed at the next level. He’s also got a tremendous knack for getting into the backfield and making plays. He flashed a natural feel for rushing the passer, whether off the edge or as a blitzer.
What separates Flowe from his peers are his instincts. He times snaps well and deciphers the plays the offense is running quickly, but there are some things that Flowe will need to improve. His lateral quickness is a question mark in the open field, as is his coverage ability. If Flowe can improve in those areas, he could be an outstanding all-around linebacker for the Ducks.
The 20 year old is largely expected to be the starting middle linebacker this season for Oregon. Although, Flowe is on track to be a full go in fall camp, Oregon has tried to bring the linebacker along slowly.
“We tried our best to slowly progress [Flowe] but there’s not really that gear in his body,” said Oregon Defensive Coordianto Tosh Lupoi, “We did a few walk-throughs and they turned into full speed for him so we had to slow him down. I’d much rather be coaching a guy that you got to ask him to slow down rather than have to constantly encourage him to speed up.”
While Flowe sat out the spring game, he participated in 11-on-11 drills with the second team. Getting Flowe a clean bill of health and keeping him healthy is paramount for Oregon this season. They need his energy on the field, and his ability to compete will uplift the Ducks’ defense. If Flowe can stay on the field this year, he could have an All-American type season, which could see him shoot up NFL teams’ draft boards.
Both Oregon’s 2022 defense, and Flowe’s NFL Draft stock hinge around his ability to remain healthy this upcoming season.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83
Photo: KingoftheDead. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.