EUGENE — Mario Cristobal is the third head football coach in three seasons at Oregon.

But listening to him and his players talk Sunday at the Ducks’ annual media day at Autzen Stadium, one has every reason to believe that this year will somehow be different from the last two disappointing seasons.

Heck, just LOOKING at the players, one could arrive at that conclusion. Many of them are bigger, stronger and oozing confidence.

It starts with Cristobal, whose head coaching debut for Oregon was a forgettable 38-28 loss to Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl last December that gave the Ducks a 7-6 final record for the season. Cristobal was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach after one-year coach Willie Taggart left Oregon for Florida State after the end of the regular season.

That disaster in the desert now somehow seems like a distant memory.

“There’s a cultural change going on that involves a lot of energy and enthusiasm,” Cristobal said Sunday.

A new focus on physicality, a renewed commitment to strength and conditioning, and a starting quarterback in Justin Herbert who some say could be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft next year have Oregon fired up for this preseason camp, which started Friday.

While Cristobal preaches the benefits of being big and physical, he seems determined to not let that deter from the Ducks’ up-tempo offense, which is now the norm in college football.

“Everybody’s gone to up-tempo,” said Cristobal, a former assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Alabama. “We want to combine the elements of an up-tempo offense with the physicality at the line of scrimmage. You have to train your guys to be just as explosive play 1 through play 90. It is very easily combined. The principles of how we play up front are NFL principles. The way we (identify) stuff, the way we man block. That’s what we have been working on since the springtime. It’s a good combination. You have a quarterback who knows how to manage it.”

Herbert, who missed five games last season with a broken collarbone, is back healthy and sporting a new man-bun hairdo that Cristobal joked about Sunday.

But do not be fooled by the mop. Herbert, from Eugene’s Sheldon High School, is on nearly every preseason award watch list for quarterbacks.

Cristobal said Herbert’s growth as a football player has been “exponential and has not stopped.

“He’s gained more confidence in everything he does,” Cristobal said. “He’s such a driven individual. He’s driven to get better. He’s never satisfied and he’s very hard on himself. We have to pull him off of himself sometimes. We try to coach him harder than any other player. Our best players have to receive our hardest coaching. He’s young, but the maturity we’ve seen this past year has been incredible. It’s exactly what you would want your own son to go through in his process.”

Herbert said that all the preseason recognition has been an honor, but his friends and teammates keep him grounded. After watching from the sidelines for five games last season, Herbert said he found out how much football meant to him.

But the rather quiet, unassuming quarterback does not like to talk about himself much. On Sunday, he quickly turned the focus to all the skill players Oregon has returning on offense. Senior running back Tony Brooks-James will be complemented by returning wide receivers Dillon Mitchell, Brenden Schooler and Johnny Johnson III.

“Some of those guys made big plays last year, and I’m looking forward to watching them make more this year,” Herbert said.

He added that he is excited to have a bigger, stronger and deeper offensive line, led by Jake Hanson and Calvin Throckmorton.

“It makes me feel a lot better about going for it with those guys around,” Herbert said. “Not only are they huge but they can move really well. I know the running backs are super excited about it as well.”

Herbert and the offensive linemen alike have gained significant muscle weight, thanks in part to the Ducks’ mightily mustachioed strength and conditioning coach, Aaron Feld.

Cristobal said he has watched his players’ bodies change over the spring and offseason, and those results have “permeated the locker room” as the team prepares for its Sept. 1 opener at home against Bowling Green.

“Every single player will tell you they’re seeing the results right now,” Cristobal said. “And they’re seeing the results when they’re playing tired. We are lifting extremely hard during camp. A little bit of a different mindset of other places. We’re attacking.”

— Reporter: 541-383-0318, mmorical@bendbulletin.com