They are called the “Baby ‘Backers,” and for the most part, you could say the name fits.
Spencer Paysinger and Casey Matthews, both starting linebackers from Southern California for Oregon, say the name comes from their playing weight, which at 216 and 235 pounds respectively, is on the light side, even for speed linebackers.
“We’re not the prototypical linebackers,” Paysinger said.
You could also say the nickname is because of their ages. As sophomores, both are the youngest starting players on the Ducks’ defense. Paysinger, 20, is even the old man of the duo – Matthews won’t turn 20 until Jan. 16 of next year.
Trying to apply it to their performance is a bit of a stretch.
In fact, there is nothing small about linebackers coach Don Pellum’s comparisons for the young duo, who call each other one of their best friends on the team.

“Before it’s all said and done, Spencer will finish kind of the way Wesly (Mallard) did and (Anthony) Trucks,” Pellum said, referring to the team leaders in tackles in 2001 and 2005.
Matthews, whose family is well-known in defensive circles – his father, Clay Sr., is a 19-year NFL veteran and Hall of Fame member, and his brother Clay Jr. is a current linebacker at USC – has inherited the ability to anticipate plays.
“When he finishes here he’s going to leave his mark on the record books,” Pellum said. “Casey has great instincts.”
Coming into the start of fall practices in August, neither figured to be in the role they are now. Paysinger was plugging into the weakside linebacker role after the suspension of junior Kevin Garrett but surprised everyone with a team-high 8.5 tackles in his first career start against Washington. He’s been nothing short of consistent since then with his 66 total tackles, the second-most on the team despite barely playing against UCLA with an injury. Against Cal on Nov. 1, he caught his first career interception on the game’s first possession.
His secret, if you can call it that, is his speed.
“It is about quickness,” Paysinger said, “even though I’m not big I can move around linemen faster.”
Matthews split time late last season with current senior John Bacon in the middle, but took over the position for good against UCLA in early October. He and Bacon both play during a game, but Matthews’ ability to see a play from its beginning won him the spot. It’s especially valuable at the middle, or “mike,” linebacker position with Matthews focusing on the action coming up the middle while paying attention to the outside of the formation as well.
His instincts and experience playing in 11 games last season have helped him play catch-up in tackles. He stands seventh on the team with 47 tackles and nine tackles for loss, which is two more than Paysinger. Against Stanford last weekend, Matthews disrupted Stanford twice in the first half with tackles for loss.
“I need to make up for lost time,” Matthews said.
Communication has never been an issue with Paysinger and Matthews since they arrived on their recruiting visits to Eugene on the same day. Sometimes it turns to their high school experience in two of the Los Angeles area’s more upscale schools. Paysinger attended Beverly Hills High while Matthews graduated from Oaks Christian High, where the sons of Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and Will Smith currently play and where current Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen played, with Matthews.
You had better believe Paysinger won’t let Matthews live it down, even with ties to his own famous high school.
“I may be Beverly Hills High School, but he’s ‘celebrity high school’ all the way,” Paysinger said.
A photoshoot with the two for a newspaper quickly turned into their opportunity for inside jokes after a contentious practice. Teammates threw in suggestions for poses for them as they walked off, but mostly, their biggest challenge was holding back a laugh.
The friendship developed over the course of fall camp this August when Garrett was suspended and Paysinger needed a new workout partner. Soon after, Pellum noticed the two lifting in the Casanova Center every time.
It was the perfect situation for the coach, whose main criticism of his players rests on their need to get stronger.
“I assumed that there was a pretty close bond between those guys because there are a whole lot of guys on the team to go work out with,” Pellum said, “and those two guys gravitated together for a number of reasons.”
The pair may be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to talented young linebackers, in fact. Where fans see two sophomore standouts, Pellum sees at least three more ready to compete for their positions in freshmen DeWitt Stuckey, Josh Kaddu and Kiko Alonso, a 6-foot-4, 225-pound player Pellum said “could be the best we’ve ever had here in the history of this place.”
No matter how well Paysinger or Matthews finish the season, neither player’s job is guaranteed during spring football. Strongside linebacker Jerome Boyd will graduate after this season, opening a position. Paysinger, who was moved to “mike” last spring, could go back under the right circumstances.
The possibility of playing two more years together had Matthews smiling on a rainy November day. Pellum and Paysinger, too, for that matter.
“Just to play the rest of our years the same amount of time, it’s definitely special,” Matthews said.
If that turns out to be the case, Paysinger thinks a new title – “veteran leaders”? – is deserved for the pair.
“Right now I’m just taking a back seat to JB (Jerome Boyd) and John Bacon,” he said, “but as soon as they’re gone it’ll be a full head of steam for us.”
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