Jeffrey Bassa is a quick learner.
The lone true freshman starter for the Oregon Ducks has been shape shifting throughout his sports career, starting at Kearns High School in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In his first high school state track meet as a freshman, Bassa, an unfavored sprinter, qualified for finals in the long jump — an event he had only practiced a handful of times.
“He wasn’t a jumper,” Emily Williams, Bassa’s high school track coach and athletic director, said. “My favorite part about it is that he didn’t even realize that he made it… he didn’t brag; he wasn’t showy.”
For the Kearns Cougars football team, Bassa was everything. He returned punts and kicks, played both wide and slot receiver and led the Cougars on defense, where he played safety, corner and linebacker based on what his opponent did.
“I’m not going to take him off the field,” Bassa’s high school football coach Matt Rickards said. “He is the best player on our team… being versatile and moving around the field is essentially what he did for us.”
It’s that same versatility that has led Bassa to vitality in his role on the Oregon defense.
Bassa was recruited to Oregon to play safety — a position which requires tremendous speed and IQ. However, because of his size, mobility and experience playing all over the defensive side of the ball, Bassa has stepped up in the absence of linebackers Justin Flowe (foot injury and out for season), Isaac Slade-Matautia (transfer) and Dru Mathis (knee injury) and become an integral part of the Ducks defense, complementing All-Conference Noah Sewell.
Bassa understands how important his versatility has been to finding snaps with the first team.
It is unclear what the future holds for Bassa. With his mix of size, speed and knowledge of every position on the defensive side of the ball, there are a multitude of ways he can affect the game. In seven games this season, Bassa has started as linebacker twice, splitting reps with fellow true freshman Keith Brown.
Both Brown and Sewell have 25-plus pounds on Bassa, making them more well suited on paper for linebacker duties. But Bassa has continuously forced his way onto the field despite it, earning playing time in practice by making prominent the difference in athleticism between himself and the rest of the linebacker core. He covers the entire field, doing what coaches ask of him.
“He has made tremendous growth,” Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal said. “For a guy that’s new at that position, he passed the test.”
Bassa has started in both of the last two games and thrived posting six tackles in each game while increasingly showing more comfort and poise diagnosing plays.
For the lone true freshman starter for the Oregon Ducks, there is still ample room to grow — especially at a position as nuanced as linebacker.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel like he is playing at his full speed,” Rickards said about where he needs to improve. “Maybe he’s a little hesitant on what he should be doing. It’s just gonna come with experience and trusting the process and his coaches.”
With the Ducks slated at No. 4 in College Football Playoff Rankings, there is little room for error for Oregon.
By optimizing his versatility, Bassa has found a temporary home among one of the most ferocious defensive fronts in college football. The question now is if he can sustain his early growth and continue to adapt to his vital role as Oregon makes its postseason push.
