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USA Today
01-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Predicting Oregon Ducks' defensive depth chart at start of fall camp practices
Fall camp has officially kicked off in Eugene, with the Oregon Ducks taking the field for the first time on Wednesday afternoon to begin their Big Ten Title defense. It's a new-look roster, with many young players looking to step into bigger roles vacated by NFL departures. While there may not be a ton of "Oregon experience," there certainly is an abundance of talent. On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of new starters will take over at key positions. The interior defensive line saw players like Derrick Harmon and Jamaree Caldwell take off for the NFL, while Jordan Burch and Jeffrey Bassa departed to the league as well. Out at cornerback, a pair of new starters will need to step up, while the safeties look to capitalize on transfer portal additions and developed talent to reach new heights. There may be a lot of production that needs to be found, but this is a challenge that Dan Lanning and his team are excited to meet. As we monitor practice over the coming weeks, hurdling towards Week 1 and a meeting with Montana State on August 30, the depth chart will shift a bit, with players jockeying for position and working to earn starting roles. At the moment, though, here is where we project things on the defensive side of the ball in Eugene: Defensive Tackle Analysis: I think Bear Alexander is still the starter at this position, and despite his apparent foot injury that held him out of the spring game, I still have Aydin Breland on this list at the No. 2 spot because I think he will be healthy by the time fall camp rolls around. Nose Tackle Analysis: A'Mauri Washington seems to have established himself as the top guy in this position, and there are some impressive underclassmen behind him, with Terrance Green, Tionne Gray, and Jericho Johnson. I don't see anyone taking Washington's place at the top of the depth chart, though. Defensive End Analysis: This is Matayo Uiagalelei's spot, undoubtedly. Behind him, I think we will likely see a lot more of Elijah Rushing this year, who has put on a lot of weight and is up to 275, with coaches raving about his development. I also think that Ashton Porter could have a role to play here as well. Jack Linebacker Analysis: Teitum Tuioti will undoubtedly be the starter here, but it will be interesting to see who slots in behind him. I think Blake Purchase makes more sense at the strong-side linebacker position, but Ashton Porter looked really good in the spring game at this spot. Strong Side Linebacker Analysis: Blake Purchase had one of the best days of anyone in the spring game, and Ashton Porter looked really solid as well, I think those are the two top names to know here. After them, true freshman Nasir Wyatt has been generating a lot of buzz among players early on as well. MAC Linebacker Analysis: Boettcher is a known commodity, and he will be the starter for the Ducks. Behind him, I think we will likely see Jerry Mixon, but Oregon has several young players who could step up into a bigger role. Money Linebacker Analysis: Devon Jackson has steadily progressed each and every year in the program, and he's ready to take on a more significant role now with Jeffrey Bassa graduating. Behind him, Brayden Platt was a highly rated recruit with a ton of upside and was just waiting for his opportunity. Boundary Cornerback Analysis: It seems like Ify Obidegwu has the most buzz at one of the starting cornerback positions after his spring game performance, but he will have to beat out Northwestern transfer Theran Johnson for the job. I also think we see guys like Sione Laulea and Brandon Finney get in on the action. Field Cornerback Analysis: Jahlil Florence is back to full health, and says that he is looking to re-prove himself after missing last year with an injury. The last time he was healthy, Florence was a starter, so it's not hard to see him getting back to that level of play. I'm also excited to see what Sione Laulea can bring to the table as the former No. 1-ranked JUCO player in the nation, who has flashed when given the opportunity. Boundary Safety Analysis: Dillon Thieneman is undoubtedly at the top here, but I was really impressed with what I saw from Aaron Flowers in the spring game. I don't think he will push for the starting spot, but with a team-high eight tackles in the spring game, he definitely will get some minutes this year. Field Safety Analysis: This remains one of the most interesting position battles on the roster between Kingston Lopa and Peyton Woodyard. I think it will be an open competition going into fall camp, and they could end up splitting many of the reps in the end. STAR/Nickel Analysis: This will be an interesting battle to watch between Daylen Austin and Jadon Canady, one that will likely continue throughout fall camp. Behind them, I think true freshman Na'eem Offord could end up getting a lot of opportunity in the nickel as well. Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
26-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Instant Reaction: Oregon Spring Game a success in more ways than one
Instant Reaction: Oregon Spring Game a success in more ways than one For those attending the Oregon Ducks Spring Game and wanting to see a lot of offense, they might have been a bit disappointed. It was the Duck defense, on both sides, that was brighter on this Saturday afternoon inside Autzen Stadium. Whether that's a forecast for the upcoming 2025 regular season remains to be seen, but considering Dan Lanning is the head coach, it shouldn't shock anyone to find out Oregon has a dominating defense. The offense wasn't running on every cylinder in the exhibition for a variety of reasons. One rule is that touching the quarterback is a sack, and coaches today don't want to open the playbook very much and give opponents even more film than they already have. It was just Chapter 1 of offensive coordinator Will Stein's playbook. There were a few plays of note, such as freshman Dakorian Moore's one-handed grab on the sideline for 36 yards and linebacker Blake Purchase's scoop-and-score for the Fighting Ducks. Between the five quarterbacks that saw action, it was redshirt freshman Luke Moga who looked the most impressive. He led the Combat Ducks (white team) on a game-winning drive with a long pass to receiver Dillon Gresham with 1:20 remaining. All in all, it was a fun time at Autzen where the fans got just a taste of what's to come in the fall. Final Score: Combat Ducks (White) 24, Fighting Ducks (Black) 20 Keys to the Game Jayden Limar put the Combat Ducks on the board first with a 31-yard run where a huge hole opened up on the right side. Receiver Dakorien Moore made his presence known early with a nice one-handed catch on the right sideline in what was one of Dante Moore's better throws of the game. A pair of field goals rounded out the scoring for the first half, but it was Blake Purchase's 38-yard scoop-and-score that got the crowd into it in the second half. Running back Jay Harris, who fumbled the ball earlier for Purchase to score on, redeemed himself with two second-half touchdowns to keep the Fighting Ducks in the game. The team in black briefly took a 20-17 lead with just over two minutes to go. But the Combat Ducks, behind Moga, shocked the Fighting Ducks with a long pass and run to Dillon Gresham that went 56 yards for the win. Players of the Game Luke Moga: 6-of-13 passing, 112 yards, 1 TD Dante Moore: 12-of-20 passing, 140 yards Jayden Limar: 5 carries, 43 yards, 1 TD Dillon Gresham: 3 catches, 96 yards, 1 TD Kenyon Sadiq: 7 catches, 102 yards Key Stats to Know First Downs: Combat 17, Fighting 12 Time of Possession: Combat 30:09, Fighting 41:09 Third Down Conversions: Combat 3-of-13, Fighting 5-of-12 Sacks: Combat 4-for-32 yards, Fighting: 7-for 49 yards What's Next? The spring practices are over and the Ducks will go into summer training and fall camp in preparation for the 2025 season, where Oregon will open up the season at Autzen with Montana State.
