As the second week of fall camp approaches it’s final days there, are still many question marks regarding what Oregon’s depth chart  will look like come the start of the season.
Yet some questions are beginning to get answers. Dakota Prukop has begun to separate himself in the competition for quarterback and redshirt freshman Jake Hanson will get the starting nod at center this season.
In the battle for the middle linebacker spot, junior transfer A.J. Hotchkins appears to have pulled ahead of junior Danny Mattingly, according to defensive coordinator Brady Hoke.
“They’re competing,” Hoke told reporters Thursday after practice. “A.J. is the guy, probably right now, who’s playing at a little higher level.”
Hotchkins, a Portland native, spent last season at Riverside Community College in Riverside, Calif., where he totaled 99 tackles in his sophomore season and was named a junior college All-American. He enrolled at Oregon early to help get acclimated with his new teammates and to get a “jump start” on learning Oregon’s system.
So far it’s all worked out for Hotchkins. He said that his decision to enroll early helped him get a better grasp on defensive plays and how the defense operates. If he does end up winning the starting spot come September, then that decision will have paid off.
Hotchkins has also felt very comfortable in Hoke’s 4-3 defense. Hoke’s 4-3 scheme is very similar to the defense that Hotchkins ran in junior college. He said that Hoke did a “great job” of implementing it in the spring.
“Coming in now, we’re just sharpening our tools and getting a better feel for the defense,” Hotchkins said.
As far as competition for the linebacker spots is going, according to Hotchkins, it’s been “great.”
“Mainly because it is so open so everybody has a chance to play,” Hotchkins said. “Everybody is competitive, everybody is trying to learn at the same pace.”
Junior Jimmy Swain and senior Johnny Ragin III seem to have all but sealed their starting roles at outside linebacker but senior De’Quan McDowell and junior Jonah Moi are still in the hunt for the playing time. Time will tell how those position battles shake up in the next coming weeks but the one to watch appears to be at middle linebacker.
While Hoke likes the development of his defense so far he acknowledges there’s always room for improvement.
“The way we’re improving daily is something that you’re happy with as a coach,” Hoke said. “But at the same time we’ve got a long way and a lot of work to do until we kick the ball off for real.”
Follow Gus Morris on Twitter @JustGusMorris