It’s already been two weeks since the Ducks season began and they’ve already proved that they are one of the top defenses in the country by only allowing 16 points over two games.

In Week 2, Oregon beat the Oklahoma State University Cowboys 69-3, which was the biggest loss in longtime head coach Mike Gundy’s career. The Ducks secondary allowed only 67 passing yards and picked off two passes.

The two interceptions were returned for touchdowns by junior linebacker Jerry Mixon and sophomore safety Peyton Woodyard. Both pick-sixes happened within minutes of each other in the final two minutes of the third quarter.

Woodyard credited the defensive line with pressuring the quarterback into putting the ball into his hands, which meant all he needed to do was see the catch through and walk into the wide open endzone. 

Woodyard also picked up five total tackles against the Cowboys, tied for second most on the team. This season Woodyard has already tied his total tackles (nine) from last season where he appeared in 13 games for Ducks.

Fellow safety junior Dillon Thieneman discussed the competitiveness of the safeties in a post-practice press conference in August. “It’s been fun competing everyday,” Theineman said. “(We’re all) playing different spots on the defense; we’re all competing.”

Thieneman, who was a captain in the blowout win against Oklahoma State, has six total tackles this season with one pass breakup. Thieneman transferred to Oregon from Purdue this past offseason after leading the Big Ten with 104 tackles in 2024.

The Ducks defensive back group is deep this season with 21 players on the roster competing for playing time. Many players are still waiting for their time to shine on the field, and practicing day in and day out with the starters is the best way to develop their skills.

Redshirt freshman Ify Obidegwu spent last season learning from an experienced group of players to get to where he is now.

“Just sitting behind those guys, Nikko Reed, Jabbar Muhammad (and) Dontae Manning,” Obidegwu said. “Just learning from them was a big growing moment for me (and) just sitting behind them soaking up all their knowledge.”

Obidegwu made an instant impact with three tackles and one pass deflection against Montana State in Week 1. He was a top recruit for head coach Dan Lanning and the Ducks coming out of high school as the No. 12 ranked cornerback in the country by 247Sports in 2024.

Another redshirt freshman making an impact this season is safety Aaron Flowers. He appeared in only two games last season as a true freshman registering one tackle, but in the same amount of games this season he has five total tackles and one forced fumble.

Ahead of the matchup against Oklahoma State, Flowers spoke about the secondary’s mindset going into the game against the Cowboys. 

“I feel like we’re ready to get tested,” Flowers said. “(We’re) a really young secondary; everyone’s just not sure about us and we’re sure to go out there and play our best.”

Even with a lot of notable young players, the Ducks secondary has experienced veterans leading the flock. Take redshirt junior Sione Laulea, for one.

Laulea started his collegiate career at San Mateo College, a junior college in San Mateo, California where he played two seasons and became the No. 2 best junior college transfer in the nation by 247Sports. He utilized a redshirt last season but brings two seasons of starting experience to a young group of defensive backs. 

Laulea made the most out of his four games last season getting three total tackles and two pass deflections. Additionally, he caught an interception against Illinois. Laulea could be a sleeper in the Ducks secondary with his ability to break up passes and take down receivers. 

The Ducks take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois on Sept. 13. The Wildcats are ranked No. 78 in the country in passing offense and have already thrown the second most interceptions (four), something which the secondary will look to expose.

Northwestern’s starting quarterback Preston Stone threw four interceptions against Tulane University in their season opener against Tulane. Stone, a recent transfer from Southern Methodist University, threw one interception last season in four starts.