As the Oregon football team’s spring practice period draws to a close, there are still a number of questions yet to be answered.
The secondary has been shuffled around, and it is unclear who will start alongside Talmadge Jackson III and Eddie Pleasant. Rob Beard has been inaccurate, and the kicking game may suffer if he does not improve. The offensive line has not had all its personnel healthy. And the cherry on top: The starting quarterback is a complete mystery at this point.
One positional unit that has made some noise this spring is the defensive line. Not for its seeming lack of depth, but for strong play and its ability to integrate newcomers seamlessly.
If the season started Saturday — and head coach Chip Kelly ought to be thankful it doesn’t — the starters on the defensive line would be Kenny Rowe and Terrell Turner at the ends and Zac Clark and Brandon Bair at the tackles. Behind Rowe and Turner are a pair of converts, ex-linebacker Brandon Hanna and ex-tight end Dion Jordan. Depth pieces at tackle include Wade Keliikipi, Taylor Hart, Anthony Anderson and Isaac Remington. Defensive line coach Jerry Azzinaro requires his linemen to understand each position on the line, so there is room for intermingling.
Rowe has had a brilliant spring, taking down running backs from behind and making life miserable for his offensive tackle teammates. So has Bair, who shifted over from defensive end last season to shore up the tackle spot and made 45 tackles (8.5 for loss, two sacks) in 2009. The 6-foot-7-inch Bair had some growing pains last year, occasionally drawing penalties at inopportune times — see the end of the first half at Washington last year — but he is a consistent force this spring against both the run and the pass.
Both of the new defensive ends have put in quality work to date, particularly Jordan. The 6-foot-7-inch redshirt sophomore may have finally found a home rushing the passer and using his long arms to bat down passes. (He has several times this spring.) Jordan has no problem getting off the line and pushing up against an opposing tackle, even if he has few moves at this point. He’s a work in progress.
Really, the entire line is. The loss of defensive tackle Blake Ferras and defensive end Will Tukuafu — a team captain and respected member of the defense — is going to hurt Oregon for its first few games this season. Still, it appears that Kelly, Azzinaro and defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti have hit upon a winning formula.
Kelly has made no secret of his desire for the fastest football team in the country. His defensive line, as it stands, may fit the bill: Tall, lithe tackles with long arms and fast feet bookended by lightning-quick pass-rushing ends. The taller, the longer their arms, the better.
Oregon fans have long since clamored for the days of Igor Olshansky and Haloti Ngata, where physically stout defensive linemen pushed offensive linemen into the backfield at will. The recruiting landscape is full of such kids, but schools with better football history and programs than the Ducks are already in their ears. Those are the preeminent blue-chippers, the kids who can wreak havoc on opposing offenses with a hand on the ground.
Oregon is better off recruiting the Brandon Bairs and the Dion Jordans of the world. Kelly has found the inefficiency in the market for future college defensive linemen, whether he understands this or not. The undervalued commodity is a tall kid with long arms who can run, but isn’t that heavy.
Let’s assume there are two kids out there somewhere, both 6-foot-6-inch, both monsters on their high school D-lines. Both run the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds; one weighs 260 pounds while the other weighs 300. The 300-pound kid is likely being recruited by every school in the country, while the 260-pounder likely has fewer options. But that 260-pound kid may have just as much impact on Oregon’s defense, and with the hands of an ex-receiver or tight end such as Bair and Jordan, he could make a tremendous impact.
Oregon secured the signed letter of intent of incoming freshman defensive tackle Ricky Heimuli, who, at 6 feet 4 inches and 280 pounds, represents the “traditional” defensive tackle. A four-star prospect according to Rivals.com, Heimuli is expected to challenge for immediate playing time. At year’s end, he’s expected to embark on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, of which he is a member. Heimuli can then sign with another school if he so chooses, or re-sign with the Ducks.
A church mission cannot be construed as baggage, but it can be an obstacle in finding a great college player. Luckily for Kelly, he has a formula that he can continue to exploit for the benefit of his defense.
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