Every new college football season comes with a large amount of roster changes, whether through the NFL draft, the transfer portal or by graduating. Luckily, that also means fresh faces will come in to take their spots coming from recruiting, the transfer portal or a player already on the team getting promoted.
Here is a look at what key defensive players the Ducks lost this off-season, and the players who will be tasked with replacing them.
Defensive Line
Important Departing Players: Treven Ma’ae, Jordon Riley and Braydn Swinson
Important Added Players: Jordan Burch, Matayo Uiagalelei, A’Mauri Washington and Johnny Bowens
The Ducks lost some key contributors on the defensive line during the off-season: Ma’ae, Riley and Swinson. The trio appeared in every game for the Ducks in 2022, with the only exception being Swinson missing the Holiday Bowl due to previously entering the transfer portal.
The Ducks’ only transfer portal addition on the defensive line was Jordan Burch, who seems poised to be a starter as soon as he puts on an Oregon uniform following a very strong season at South Carolina, where he played every game for the Gamecocks and totaled 60 tackles.
The Ducks did serious work bringing in new linemen during recruiting. Matayo Uiagalelei is a five-star prospect who will likely see many snaps as a freshman, potentially at both defensive end and outside linebacker. A’Mauri Washington and Johnny Bowens are both four-star prospects and could see some snaps as injury replacements, but probably will not start too high on the depth chart.
Linebackers
Important Departing Players: Noah Sewell, Justin Flowe, D.J. Johnson and Keith Brown
Important Added Players: Connor Soelle, Jestin Jacobs and Jamal Hill
The Ducks lost a handful of valuable contributors at the linebacker positions, with the most notable being Sewell, one of Oregon’s top defenders last season. They also lost Flowe, Johnson and Brown who each played in at least ten of the Ducks’ contests last season, all having more than 20 total tackles.
The main new additions for Oregon both came through the transfer portal. Connor Soelle from Arizona State and Jestin Jacobs from Iowa both project as starters for this upcoming season. Soelle tallied 30 tackles through his 12 games as a Sun Devil last year. Jacobs, who was limited to just two games last season due to injury, was incredible for Iowa in his last full season, where he racked up 53 tackles over his 14 games played.
Jeffrey Bassa looks to take a step forward in the rotation following a very impressive season last year where he totalled 62 tackles over his 13 games played. Jamal Hill will also serve as an important part of this Oregon linebacker core after his shift from safety. Hill had 50 tackles last season as a member of the secondary and has put on some weight in the off-season to help with his move to linebacker.
Secondary
Important Departing Players: Christian Gonzalez, Bennett Williams and Jamal Hill
Important Added Players: Evan Williams, Nikko Reed, Khyree Jackson and Cole Martin
The Ducks lost Christian Gonzalez and Bennett Williams as well as the aforementioned Hill position swap. That leaves a couple holes in the secondary that Oregon will have to fill. Gonzalez, Williams and Hill combined for 172 tackles this past season, and all appeared in every game aside from Gonzalez opting out of the Holiday Bowl due to his draft projection.
There will be some internal players asked to take on a higher workload, specifically Trikweze Bridges, Dontae Manning and Jahlil Florence who will be given a greater role in this upcoming season.
Evan Williams, Nikko Reed and Khyree Jackson make up Oregon’s biggest pickups in the transfer portal in the secondary. Williams and Reed both played significant roles for Fresno State and Colorado respectively last season and totaled 111 tackles between the two of them. Jackson had just seven tackles last season, but could see a big jump in both responsibilities and numbers as he enters an Oregon defense that favors athletic cornerbacks.
Cole Martin was the biggest recruit for the secondary, as he comes in with a four-star ranking. He totaled 84 tackles in his senior season and seems ready to make the jump to the college level. He might not begin the season as a starter, but could challenge some of the veterans for snaps.
The Ducks will kick off their season on Sept. 2 against Portland State, giving these new recruits a chance to show what they’re all about.
