It’s been an offseason brimming with turnover for the Oregon Ducks’ football program, but it’s in their defensive backfield where the revolving door of roster changes will be the most apparent.
The Ducks lost four starters from their secondary since the 2021 season came to a close. Verone McKinley III and Mykael Wright will hear their names called in April’s NFL Draft, Jordan Happle’s eligibility concluded and DJ James will don new colors this season as a key piece for the Auburn Tigers.
Rising sophomore and rotational cornerback Jaylin Davies is off to UCLA, too.
Storyline to watch: size on the back end
Oregon coach Dan Lanning’s first secondary at the program could be quite the menacing bunch.
It will take until late fall to fully measure this unit’s effectiveness, but the group’s builds jump off the page.
Each of the defensive backs, which figure to either earn or compete for starting jobs come in at 6-foot-plus. Cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez (Colorado transfer, 6-foot-2), Trickweze Bridges (6-foot-3), Dontae Manning (6-foot) and safeties Jamal Hill (6-foot-1), Bennett Williams (6-foot-1), Steve Stephens (6-foot-1) and Jeffrey Bassa (may remain at linebacker where he played in 2021-22, 6-foot-2) will use their length to their advantage.
Coach: Demetrice Martin/Matt Powledge
Martin will handle defensive passing game responsibilities and the cornerbacks while Matt Powledge has assumed the role of safeties’ coach. He comes to Eugene as one of the West Coast’s premiere defensive back recruiters, having already served prominent roles with five Pac-12 programs. He’s coached 15 all-Pac-12 defensive backs.
Powledge has legitimate credentials as a talent developer as well. At Baylor, Powledge helped develop 2021 Jim Thorpe Award finalist Jalen Pitre and 2020 consensus All-American kick returner Trestan Ebner, among others.
Figurehead player: Bennett Williams
William’s mid-season injury was mainly forgotten amongst a season marred by critical absences.
Playing primarily at the star position — a hybrid safety/linebacker role near the line of scrimmage — he was on pace for a career year through four games. Williams tallied three interceptions and 20 tackles before he missed the remainder of the regular season with a leg injury.
He showcased significant improvement as a tackler in the open field last season, and after making a full recovery from his injury, a healthy Williams may well be one of the Pac-12’s foremost defensive backs.
The only question surrounding Williams is whether he’ll remain at the star position or if he’ll slide back to the boundary safety spot in McKinley III’s wake.
“If our best nickel is Bennett then we have to figure out who our best safety is,” Lanning said. “It could be Jamal, but Jamal won’t learn just one position. Bennett won’t learn just one position. Bassa won’t learn just one position. That’s one thing I think I got from Kirby (Smart), is position versatility.”
Player to watch: Christian Gonzalez
The sophomore newcomer from Colorado plugs a key hole in the wake of James and Wright. At the very least, Oregon’s starting cornerbacks bring previous experience to the table, leaving the underclassmen and incoming freshman backup roles.
“Coach Martin’s relationship with Gonzo is big because he’s been with him first-hand, was actually his position coach day in and day out,” Lanning said. “He has the physical tools and ability and has some experience in the league.”
Gonzalez has the size to match up with the conference’s bigger receiving threats. If he can replace James’ ball production, the Ducks’ secondary should be fine out of the gate.
