Oshay Dunmore Talks Redshirting

Not every college football player with a scholarship earns playing time during his first year on campus. Usually those players will be redshirted, meaning that they cannot compete in any games in exchange for not losing a year of eligibility. Oregon Ducks corner Oshay Dunmore redshirted this last season, and he joined the BFT Friday to talk about the experience.

In a word, Dunmore described his first year with the Ducks as “humbling.” Dunmore said that he felt very confident after attending summer workouts, but that fall camp took practice to a whole new level that neither he nor any of the other recruits were prepared for.

“Man, that was something vicious,” Dunmore said of fall camp. “The speed of the game was the biggest thing for everybody to get used to, and everybody was in the same boat – regardless of how athletic or how many stars any of us had.”

Redshirted players are allowed to fully participate in practice with the rest of the team and even dress down for games, and Dunmore was no different. He spoke about the odd feeling of running out through the tunnel at a game but never getting to step on the field.

“That first game, I [was] so hyped,” said Dunmore. “Then the second quarter rolls around and I’m like ‘Wait, I’m really not going to get in, huh?’ It was something to get used to.”

Dunmore also talked about the skepticism he initially had when teammates told him that his redshirt year would go by quickly, but also expressed his surprise that what he was told was eventually proven true. He went on to say that he treated the practices like games, and that going against the Ducks’ starting offense every day pushed him to be a better defender.

Dunmore played both offense and defense in high school, and admitted that due to having a more offensive-oriented mindset, he knew he had to adjust his approach to the game when he became a full-time defensive player.

“I kind of accepted the redshirt from the start,” said Dunmore. “I came in with the mindset that I wanted to play, but I knew there was a lot I still needed to learn.”

“I’m just going to keep working as hard as I can every day, and when I get my chance to out there and contribute, I’ll know that I’ve put in the work – and hopefully it’ll all pay off.”

To listen to the entire interview, click below: